Andrew Windsor is retreating deeper into isolation at Sandringham, spending lengthy stretches immersed in military-style video video games and flight simulators because the disgraced former prince struggles to deal with life after his dramatic royal downfall.
As RadarOnline.com reported, the 66-year-old youthful brother of King Charles, 77, formally misplaced the fitting to make use of his HRH title in November 2025 after years of scandal surrounding his affiliation with convicted s– offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Following his humiliating royal exile, Windsor spent a number of months secluded at Royal Lodge in Windsor earlier than lately relocating to Marsh Farm on the Sandringham property in Norfolk – a far quieter and fewer prestigious setting far faraway from his life on the $40million Royal Lodge.
Royal creator Andrew Lownie, whose ebook Entitled examined the previous Duke of York’s downfall, claimed the disgraced royal now seems to have “misplaced any kind of objective in life.”
He stated: “I feel he is somebody who wants self-discipline. I feel the (time within the armed) companies (was) good for him. There was a spotlight there and a self-discipline.”
In line with Lownie, with out such construction, Windsor has more and more retreated into know-how and simulation video games – passions that join again to his navy background and pilot coaching.
“He is completely fascinated by simulations of planes touchdown,” Lownie stated, including the previous royal additionally spends intensive durations taking part in the first-person shooter recreation Name of Responsibility.
One supply conversant in Windsor’s present life-style additionally informed us: “The size of Andrew’s fall has left him residing a very remoted and diminished life in comparison with the world he occupied for many years as a senior royal.
“This was any person who as soon as moved always between palaces, worldwide excursions, elite dinners and personal conferences with presidents, diplomats and billionaires, and now his complete routine revolves round a really restricted existence inside Sandringham with solely a handful of aides, safety officers and shut workers round him.
“He now spends big quantities of time absorbed in flight simulators and navy fight video games as a result of they permit him to mentally reconnect with durations of his life when he nonetheless felt revered, helpful and essential.
“His naval background and pilot coaching have been among the many few issues that genuinely gave him self-discipline and confidence, so there’s nearly a nostalgic consolation for him in disappearing into these digital worlds the place he can relive components of that construction and management.”
The insider added: “For somebody who as soon as loved all of the privileges and status that got here with being on the heart of royal life, the distinction together with his present actuality is nearly surreal. Andrew’s social world has shrunk dramatically, and there is a sturdy feeling amongst these round him that he now hides from public life as a result of he is aware of his status has been completely destroyed.
“These video games and simulations he loves have change into a type of emotional escape for him. In these fantasy environments, he can briefly overlook the humiliation, scandal and public hostility that outline his real-world picture now. It is nearly as if he is retreating into managed digital situations as a result of they really feel safer and extra manageable than going through the fact of what his life has change into.”
Windsor’s more and more secluded life was briefly disrupted earlier this month after an alarming incident close to Sandringham. Norfolk Police confirmed officers have been known as to Wolferton shortly after 7.30pm on Might 6 following experiences of a person behaving in an intimidating method whereas the previous prince was strolling his canines.
A police spokesperson stated: “Officers attended, and the person was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and possession of an offensive weapon.”
The suspect, later recognized as 39-year-old Alex Jenkinson, has since been charged with two counts of utilizing threatening, abusive or insulting phrases or habits to harass somebody or trigger alarm or misery. One cost reportedly pertains to an alleged incident the day gone by.
Jenkinson has been launched on conditional bail and ordered to not enter Norfolk, contact Mountbatten-Windsor straight or not directly, or journey inside 500 meters of 5 main royal estates.
One other royal insider claimed the confrontation additional deepened Mountbatten-Windsor’s withdrawal from public life.
They stated: “Andrew was already residing with an enormous quantity of humiliation, anxiousness and mistrust after years of public scandal and the whole collapse of his status, so incidents like this have solely intensified his intuition to close himself away from the surface world even additional.
“The sensation amongst individuals round him is that he is change into deeply cautious of strangers, public encounters and any state of affairs the place he may face confrontation, ridicule or hostility.
“Since being pushed out of royal life, he is change into more and more reclusive and withdrawn. There are lengthy stretches the place he barely leaves Sandringham in any respect until there’s an unavoidable purpose to take action, and most of his days are spent indoors away from public view.
“Pals say he is painfully conscious that he went from being one of the recognizable and privileged members of the royal household to any person many individuals now affiliate nearly fully with scandal and shame, and that has left him carrying monumental embarrassment.
“The confrontation close to Sandringham actually shook him as a result of it bolstered the concept that even in isolation, he nonetheless cannot totally escape the anger and notoriety surrounding him. Individuals near Andrew suppose he now feels most secure residing nearly utterly hidden away inside managed environments the place he can keep away from public scrutiny as a lot as doable.”