Exclusive: Royal Family Faces "Difficult and Rather Sensitive Decision" Over Royal Lodge's Future After Prince Andrew Exit, Per Property Expert

With the news that the former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are vacating Royal Lodge in the coming days, one of the questions on everyone's minds is what King Charles will do with his brother's former home. Buckingham Palace announced on October 30 that Andrew's titles had been formally removed by The King and he would no longer be known as a prince. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, as he's now being called, also received notice on Thursday that he must leave Royal Lodge. Now that Andrew is moving to Sandringham, one property expert says that the Royal Family has much to consider when it comes to what to do with the home.

Robin Edwards, a property buying agent at London real estate agency Curetons, tells Marie Claire that The King "faces a difficult and rather sensitive decision over what to do with the prestigious property." Royal Lodge was the former home of the Queen Mother, and Prince Andrew has lived there with his ex-wife for two decades. Considering its historic nature, Edwards notes that "the most likely outcome is that the property will remain within royal use, either reassigned to another senior member of the family or retained as an official guest residence."

"Converting it for commercial purposes, such as high-end private hire, film production or short-term accommodation, is theoretically possible but would be fraught with potential logistical and reputational complications," he continues.

While renting Royal Lodge to a private tenant would bring in a significant income, Edwards notes that it would be "extremely difficult" to pull this off.

"On the open market, a property of this scale and prestige could in theory command an exceptional rent," he tells Marie Claire, sharing that "an exclusive short-term let could easily make well in excess of £100,000 per week (roughly $131,000), while a long-term tenancy might achieve somewhere between £800,000 to £2 million a year," or $1 million to $2.6 million.

However, considering Royal Lodge is a Crown Estate property, Edwards notes that renting it out would "raise concerns over privacy and safety." The home is also in dire need of repairs, with the property expert sharing that "bringing it up to commerical standards would require major investment."

Edwards shares that it's not impossible to find an appropriate tenant, however. He cites another property on the Crown Estate, Fort Belvedere, which was once rumored to be an option for Prince William and Princess Kate. The former home of King Edward VIII, later known as the Duke of Windsor, has been rented to "the billionaire Weston family since the early 1980s," Edwards says.

The Westons have been close to the Royal Family for decades, and Edwards suggests "there is the potential that Royal Lodge could similarly be leased to another close friend or connection." However, anyone moving into the property "would have to be heavily vetted and made sure not to have any possible skeletons in their closet that could reflect poorly on the Royal Family," he adds.

"If Prince William and his family weren't already scheduled to move into Forest Lodge nearby it would have been ideal for them," Edwards tells Marie Claire, adding, "In a few years time, though, it could even be suitable for Prince George or one of his siblings."

In the meantime, Andrew and Ferguson will be backing up and going their separate ways. The former Duke of York will be moving into an undisclosed property on the Sandringham estate, while the ex-duchess will be making her own living arrangements in due course.