Sarah Ferguson has ruled out moving into her own £4.25m London townhouse after renting it for around £16,000 a month.
The Duchess of York and her disgraced ex-husband Prince Andrew are under increasing pressure from the King to leave Royal Lodge, the sprawling Windsor home they share.
But The Mail on Sunday can reveal Sarah has installed tenants in the two-bedroom Belgravia property she bought in 2022, and the rent she receives for it means a move to London from Windsor is not part of her “game plan”. Similar two-bedroom houses on the same street are currently available to rent at £4,000 a week – more than £200,000 a year.
However, this sum pales in comparison to the £400,000-a-year bill required to maintain Royal Lodge, a Grade II-listed 19th-century building set in 85 acres of land.
A luxury two-bedroom townhouse just five minutes from Buckingham Palace would, some say, be a good fit for Sarah, and even Andrew.
Sarah Ferguson bought the Belgravia house in her own name, with her daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie also listed in the Land Registry documents.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Sarah has installed tenants in the two-bedroom Belgravia property (pictured) she bought in 2022, and the rent she receives from this means a move to London from Windsor is not part of her ‘game plan’
The Duchess of York and her disgraced ex-husband Prince Andrew are under increasing pressure from the King to leave Royal Lodge, the sprawling Windsor home they share.
The Royal Lodge at Windsor Castle. From November, the King will stop footing the bill for his brother’s security operation at the Royal Lodge, believed to cost £3m a year.
But he clings to Windsor manor despite his brother’s attempts to oust him.
From November, the king will stop footing the bill for his brother’s security operation at Royal Lodge, believed to cost £3m a year. The Yorks have already rejected his suggestion that they move to Frogmore Cottage, the former home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
But they need to keep their next property small, to avoid paying a huge security bill.
A source said: ‘Moving into a luxury townhouse is a decision most people could only dream of, and it would save the Yorks £200,000 a year – it’s a no-brainer.
“It’s time for the Yorks to be independent. They have a long-term lease with the Crown Estate and if they can afford to live entirely independently at Royal Lodge, they’ll be welcome, but they need adequate security for a building of that size. If they can find the money, great, but if they can’t, a smaller property would be much cheaper.”
Although Fergie purchased the Belgravia home in her own name, her daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are also listed in the Land Registry documents.
The funds to buy it are believed to have come from money inherited by Fergie’s daughters from the late Prince Philip and the Queen.
The Yorks describe the Belgravia home as an “investment” for Sarah, although the agreements suggest the princesses will be its ultimate beneficiaries as a “restraint” prevents Sarah from selling it without the written consent of her two daughters.