The 65-year-old former prince had intended to extend his stay at Royal Lodge in Windsor, his long-time home, but was discreetly moved to a cottage in Sandringham, the King’s estate in Norfolk, on Monday night, as reported by the Sun.
A royal source confirmed his new residence at Sandringham on Wednesday, mentioning the possibility of occasional returns to Windsor during a transitional period.
“Given the recent disclosures related to Epstein, it became evident that it was time for him to leave,” a friend told the Sun.
“The departure was quite embarrassing for him, prompting him to leave under the cover of darkness.”
In October of last year, Charles removed Mountbatten-Windsor’s titles and announced his relocation due to revelations about his ongoing connection with Epstein.
The King expressed his support for the abuse victims.
Newly released files from the US Justice Department last Friday included emails indicating consistent communication between Mountbatten-Windsor and Epstein for over two years following Epstein’s conviction for child sexual offenses.
The files also contained images showing Mountbatten-Windsor in a compromising position with an unidentified woman, whose identity was concealed in the redacted images.
The former Duke of York has refuted any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and had previously denied any continued association with the financier after his 2008 conviction, except for a final meeting in New York in 2010 to sever ties.
Epstein passed away by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.
