Why Andrew and Sarah remain holed up in Royal Lodge months after announcement they would move

Months after being stripped of their royal titles over their ties with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, there is still no word where the former Duke and Duchess of York will live or when they will vacate Royal Lodge.

The couple continues to remain holed up in their long-time home, despite initial reports indicating they would vacate in the new year, and it has now been reported they will stay put until Easter.

It comes as speculation continues to surround where the two will live once they finally move on, with Sarah even reportedly eyeing a move to Australia.

While Sarah Ferguson was reportedly house hunting in Windsor late last year, reports have emerged that she is considering joining her older sister Jane Ferguson Luedecke in Australia.

RadarOnline quoted a royal expert who said, "Sarah has always had a fondness for the country, and there is a sense she might encounter a warmer reception there than in Britain right now".

If not, she may have to rely on the goodwill of her and Andrew's two grown daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie for a roof over her head.

With money an issue, the Daily Mirror is reporting Ferguson will most likely split her time between her daughters' two main homes.

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Beatrice has reportedly offered Fergie the use of a cattle shed that has been converted into a "granny annex" at the luxurious Cotswolds estate where she lives with property developer husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and their two daughters, Sienna and Athena, and his son Wolfie from a previous relationship.

Meanwhile, Eugenie – who was only close to Harry and Meghan – is said to have offered her mother the use of a "grand suite" at the lavish seafront home she and her husband Jack Brooksbank live in part time in Portugal with their two sons August and Ernest.

Both sisters also have London boltholes; Beatrice in St James's Palace while Eugenie has access to a home called Ivy Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace.

But it is unlikely Sarah will be invited to stay in either of those given their close proximity to senior royals; King Charles and Queen Camilla live in St James's Palace while Kensington Palace is the London home and office of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Meanwhile, there is still no firm news on where Andrew will stay. It was reported he would be offered a home somewhere on King Charles' private Sandringham estate, with King Charles to pay his expenses.

Media outlets soon deduced it was likely Marsh Farm, given a no-fly zone had been extended over the property, which The Sun reported was a working farm, which includes a main house with two reception rooms, and several outbuildings.

It is said to be in need of major renovations and even then, will be much less grand than the 30-room Royal Lodge where Andrew has lived for more than 20 years.

It is thought Andrew was also eyeing a possible move to the Middle East, where he built up a wide network of contacts thanks to his previous role as the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.

But royal expert, Jennie Bond, thought this was unlikely.

She told the Daily Mirror, "Andrew certainly does seem to have friends in high places in the Middle East and his life there wouldn't be short on luxury.

"But it could also be very lonely.

"Andrew does still have his family, including his grandchildren, so I think it's unlikely that he would want to move abroad permanently."

One issue for the former couple will be money.

Sarah in particular has at times had to rely on loans from friends, including Epstein.

It was a letter she wrote to him after she said he had cut off contact, in which she called him a 'supreme friend', that was her undoing.

It resulted in a public fall from grace that included her new children's book being pulled before its release, while charities she had worked with for decades severed ties with her.

The Daily Mirror quoted an insider who said Sarah's money was fast drying up.

While "somebody else always picked up the tab" for Sarah, she always "spent more than she had".

And while she was "very well taken care of over the years by various boyfriends, friends and acquaintances", most were now distancing themselves from her.

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