Watching TV and horse riding in the rain – Andrew’s new life of doing nothing much at all

For a man who once moved through life with a full calendar and a fixed place in the national story, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s new and assumingly empty existence must be a tricky one for him to contemplate. After having his royal titles and engagements stripped away and with no ‘regular’ job to fall back on, the former prince has found himself forced to embrace a new way of living. One which, by all accounts, entails a fair amount of idling… (Picture: Getty Images)

Most of Andrew’s time is reportedly spent doing the same small handful of things. He rides horses. He shoots. He plays golf. He watches television, often for hours and hours at a time,an insider told The Telegraph.

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‘He does watch a lot of TV – he’s always done that,’ says one source. ‘He’s always been a bit of a couch potato.’ So these televisual habits aren’t exactly new. What is novel, however, is that there may not be much else for him to do to give him a sense of purpose. Nowadays, after losing his royal titles and being forced to keep a low profile, the ex-Prince Andrew’s never seen out at dinner. The London nightlife that was once the background for so much of his social life is now out of reach. (Picture: Getty Images)

In recent months, Andrew has been kept out of sight. With help from staff, he’s largely avoided photographers. Which is why it was rather noticeable when he was recently spotted riding alone near Windsor, accompanied only by a groom. He was photographed twice in three days, a rare burst of visibility by current standards. A few days earlier, he had attended the christening of his granddaughter Athena Mapelli Mozzi, arriving quietly at St James’s Palace in the back of a car. (Picture: Kelvin Bruce)

He didn’t stay on for drinks afterwards with Princess Beatrice and friends. It’s all part of the wider plan to stay off the radar as the last formal connections to his former life are removed. His honorary military titles are now gone. So too are his royal ones. The structure of the monarchy’s calendar that once gave shape to his days has also quietly disappeared. (Picture: Reuters)

For now, Andrew remains based in Windsor. That will change next year when he’s due to leave Royal Lodge and move to Marsh Farm on the Royals’ Sandringham Estate. It’s a move that Andrew reportedly doesn’t really want. Royal Lodge in Berkshire has been his home for years. Marsh Farm out east over in Norfolk is smaller, plainer and needs a fair bit of renovation work doing to the former working farm. (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

Now there’s mostly just waiting left. And time to fill. He’s preparing to move house. He’s waiting for the next release of Epstein documents – something which could spark a fresh frenzy of activity. Socially, his circle has shrunk. Andrew still hosts shoots at Sandringham, but the atmosphere is described as pretty muted to say the least. ‘Nobody visits him anymore,’ says one source. Views on his mood vary. Some describe him as ‘bullish’ or sometimes even ‘chipper’. Others speak of a ‘duty of care’ that may be required. One source says he has been ‘very, very flat’ as the ‘penny has finally dropped’, though they add that he generally lives his emotional life ‘on an even keel’. (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

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There is one role in Andrew’s life offers some sense of direction and grounding. The king’s brother remains closely involved with his grandchildren Sienna and Athena Mapelli Mozzi (children of Princess Beatrice) and August and Ernest Brooksbank (children of Princess Eugenie). ‘It is a joy to see him really shine as a grandfather’, said his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson back in 2021. Ferguson herself has since gone pretty quiet in recent months. Hopes she once had of securing a property within the Crown Estate have now faded, with one source predicting another attempt at potential reinvention via another book deal or television interview. (Picture: Instagram)

Leaving Royal Lodge will be an exercise in packing up a (controversial) life. Alongside furniture and personal effects sits his notorious collection of 72 teddies, reportedly arranged in size order every morning by a servant. The Royal Collection paintings will be removed by their custodians. Andrew, it is said, is in no hurry to pack up and move out. ‘He doesn’t want to leave Royal Lodge,’ revealed one source. ‘He’s prevaricating with his head in the sand, hoping it will all go away and stringing it out.’ (Picture: AP)

For now, the days just keep on coming. The same riding routes. The same quiet rooms. The same TV channels. Somewhere near the town of Windsor, a man who once attended state banquets and elaborate foreign trips pulls on a raincoat, climbs into the saddle and sets off again, thinking about what’s on BBC Two later that evening. It’s a fall from grace on a truly royal scale. (Picture: Jim Bennett)

Watching TV and horse riding in the rain – Andrew’s new life of doing nothing much at all

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