This is the modest ‘granny annexe’ at Princess Beatrice‘s Cotswolds home ostracised Sarah Ferguson is expected to live when she’s kicked out of Royal Lodge, the Daily Mail can reveal.
The former Duchess of York is desperate to find a new home after Andrew was evicted from his sprawling property on the Windsor estate and stripped of his titles.
Shamed Andrew will move into a cottage on the King’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, while friends have suggested that Fergie is ‘on edge’ at the prospect of being made homeless, with sources claiming the pair will go their separate ways.
One option for the former Duchess appears to be staying at the £3.5million Oxfordshire mansion belonging to her daughter Beatrice and her son-in-law Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
Tucked away in a quaint village, the mansion has a small one-bedroom former cattle shed, which is an unlikely destination for the royal outcast – but perhaps beggars can’t be choosers.
The idea of your mother-in-law living with you may send shivers down the spine of some – but Eduardo, 41, is said to have a ‘good rapport’ with the former Duchess of York.
And it would appear that Beatrice, 37, is open to the idea of accommodating her mother after recently renovating the outhouse and fitting it with new doors and windows.
Planning documents on the council website reveal how over the years they have made several adjustments to the property which lies in beautiful rolling countryside.
The village in Oxfordshire,where Princess Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have a country retreat.The long shed is where Sarah Ferguson is thought to be moving into
Tucked away in a quaint village, the mansion has a small one-bedroom former cattle shed, which is an unlikely destination for the royal outcast
It would appear that Beatrice, 37, is open to the idea of accommodating her mother after recently renovating the outhouse and fitting with new doors and windows
Gates have also been replaced, and a full ‘renovation and rewiring’ of the annexe has also taken place – where Sarah is expected to move in, possibly in time for Christmas.
Hidden behind a stone wall opposite a row of modest new-build bungalows, the annexe was completed by the previous owners but according to neighbours has undergone a complete renovation and would be the perfect base for the soon to be homeless royal.
The stonework has been repointed and the gutters replaced, and the annexe has its own independent entrance which would be perfect for the ex-wife of the disgraced Duke of York.
Other work that has taken place on the property include replacing doors and installing a gas fire boiler.
Other applications show a refurbishment of the house and conversion of double garage into a security office as well as work to ‘ancillary accommodation’.
Last week there was also a delivery of gas bottles for the cooker and fireplace and the property is just twenty five minutes from where Edoardo’s mother lives.
The ‘granny flat’ is across the courtyard from the main six-bedroom house – which is edged with cypress trees – and was recently fitted out with new windows and given a lick of paint. The expansive grounds also have a swimming pool and tennis courts.
A source told the Daily Mail: ’It would be perfect for the former Duchess as it’s close to her daughter but also completely independent of the main house where Beatrice and Eduardo live.
‘Sarah would be able to just walk a few yards and be an on-site baby sitter for Sienna who she simply adores and with Eugenie living in Portugal it makes perfect sense.’
Sarah’s plans have largely remained a mystery ever since she and Andrew were evicted from Royal Lodge.
There had been whispers that she could flee to Australia, where her sister and closest confidant Jane Ferguson resides, or to Princess Eugine’s £3.6million oceanside villa in Portugal.
And while the glorified shed would certainly be much cooler than life on the CostaTerra resort or in New South Wales, the quiet Cotswolds village could provide Fergie with the perfect mixture of privacy and stardom.
Andrew will spend one last Christmas at Royal Lodge before moving out in the new year
Andrew lived in the £30million mansion with just his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson
The village, set near the Evenlode valley and surrounded by rolling green hills, lies on the edge of the Blenheim Palace estate – and is in the ‘golden triangle’ area of the Cotswolds where other famous residents include the Beckhams, Jeremy Clarkson and Ellen DeGeneres.
And while last week London’s most exclusive night club Annabel’s told the Daily Mail Andrew and Sarah would be turned away at the door if they ever tried to return to their old haunt, Fergie could join Soho House – sometimes visited by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
If Sarah were to want to get to know the locals in the village, and settle into a more down-to-earth lifestyle, there are plenty of opportunities for socialising too.
Beatrice and Edoardo bought the property back in 2021, with the old cattle shed being converted to hold a bedroom a few years prior.
But in recent months, according to neighbours, the annexed building has been gutted and painted.
A source told the Mail on Sunday last week: ‘The granny annexe seems to be ready to move into now.
‘It’d be perfect for Fergie, wouldn’t it? The stonework has all been repointed, the gutters renovated, the woodwork nicely painted. It has its own entrance.
‘Just today, the road was blocked for a delivery of propane gas bottles for the annexe. That coincided with the first cold snap of winter.
So, clearly, the arrival of someone is imminent. It may not look like much of a palace on the outside, but I bet it’s stunning inside.’
Property developer Eduardo is said to have been particularly taken by the ancient brickwork of the converted farmhouse, which is ringed by trees to ensure the couple’s privacy.
Princess Beatrice of York and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi attend a special event celebrating the success of nutraceutical expert Gabriela Peacock’s best-selling second book
He once said on his social media: ‘I love the heritage and history of old buildings and the fact that each and every one is different, there’s a genuine authenticity in that.’
Earlier this year royal fans caught a glimpse of Beatrice in her new house as she joined in with a charity zoom call which also included her mother and sister Eugenie.
Prior to moving to the Cotswolds the couple lived in St James’s Palace but their new property is close to an area where bird flu has recently been detected.
Beatrice is currently ninth in line to the throne and will retain her royal title despite her father losing his in his spectacular fall from grace.
Her cousin Zara Tindall and husband Mike are also neighbours, which gives her daughters a chance to hang out with their cousins, Mia, 11, Lena, seven and Lucas, four.
