Where could Prince Andrew end up if he leaves Royal Lodge?

Frogmore Cottage (left) and Adelaide Cottage have reportedly been suggested to Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson

Prince Andrew's relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has led to mounting calls for him to be removed from his sprawling 30-room Windsor mansion.

The prince, who relinquished his titles earlier this month, has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

But the revelation that he has only ever paid a token annual rent on his home, Royal Lodge, has intensified the scrutiny over his living arrangements - even though he made large payments up front, including for renovations.

Buckingham Palace has not commented on whether Prince Andrew might move out of his home - or where he might go.

But BBC News understands that two other properties in the grounds of Windsor Castle, Adelaide Cottage and Frogmore Cottage, were options suggested to both Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson some months ago.

On Monday, the Sun newspaper reported that the prince has agreed to leave Royal Lodge, but wants Frogmore Cottage for himself, and Adelaide Cottage for Sarah Ferguson - in return.

There are also a number of other properties which could potentially be used to house the King's brother.

Here are some of the options that could be in the mix.

Frogmore Cottage

The residence at Frogmore Cottage is tucked away inside the grounds of the much larger Frogmore House in Windsor

If Prince Andrew is seeking a home hidden from the public gaze, then Frogmore Cottage is an ideal spot.

The Grade-II listed property, owned by the Crown Estate, is nestled in a quiet corner in the grounds of the grand Frogmore House in Windsor.

From the very beginning it was intended as a secluded refuge from the pressures of royal life, with records of its occupants scarce.

Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, had it built in 1792 as a place for her and her daughters to escape the court.

Surviving relatives of Tsar Nicholas II also lived there after fleeing to the UK, following the murder of other family members by Bolsheviks in 1918.

Since World War Two, the cottage is believed to have been used as a home for members of royal household staff, before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved in.

Prince Harry and Meghan quit life as working royals in 2020 and left the UK shortly afterwards. In 2023, they were asked to vacate the property.

It's been reported that the home was offered to Prince Andrew by the King last year as well, but that he declined.

Staying in Windsor offers a number of benefits, including enabling the prince to stay close to his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, as well as their children.

Adelaide Cottage

Adelaide Cottage was visible to the public back in 2013, but since then trees have grown and obscured the view

Another contender could be Adelaide Cottage, which is also in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have been living in the property since August 2022, with their children George, Charlotte and Louis.

But after a challenging period that has seen the princess deal with a cancer diagnosis and treatment they have now decided to move to Forest Lodge, in Windsor Great Park.

That leaves it free for Prince Andrew - or indeed his ex-wife - to potentially move into.

The four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage is just a stone's throw from Frogmore Cottage, so if a deal is struck for Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson to each occupy one of the properties, they would continue to live nearby each other.

It is a 10-minute walk from Windsor Castle, so the pair would also be close to King Charles.

By royal standards, it is a modest home - and certainly a downsizing from the mansion that Prince Andrew has been used to.

As with Frogmore Cottage, it offers privacy and a rural setting, and is also within Windsor's security perimeter.

Adelaide Cottage has a long history of royal usage. It was built in 1831 as a home for the wife of William IV, Queen Adelaide - hence its name.

In more recent times it was home to Group Captain Peter Townsend, the Battle of Britain pilot who became an equerry to King George VI and who became the close confidante of the King's younger daughter, Princess Margaret.

Townsend lived at Adelaide Cottage with his first wife from 1944 to 1952.

Wood Farm, Norfolk

Further afield, there's also Wood Farm, on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, which is privately owned by the monarch.

The cottage, described as "small and intimate" by former housekeeper Teresa Thompson, has strong associations with Prince Andrew's parents.

His father, the late Duke of Edinburgh, chose the secluded property as his permanent home when he retired from public life in 2017.

He and the late Queen already regularly stayed there in preference to opening up Sandringham House when it was just the two of them.

The wider Sandringham estate covers approximately 20,000 acres (8,100 hectares) with 600 acres (242 hectares) of gardens.

It enabled Prince Philip to indulge his passions for country pursuits, such as shooting and carriage-driving.

It was also near Sandringham where Prince Philip was involved in a car crash which left a passenger in another car with a broken wrist - an incident that prompted him to give up driving in January 2019.

The Balmoral estate is also privately owned and could present other options for Prince Andrew.

Castle of Mey, Caithness

The Castle of Mey is located in the far north of Scotland near John O' Groats

The royal portfolio also includes the Castle of Mey in the far north of Scotland, which could be a possibility.

King Charles' grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, brought the dilapidated rural castle back to life after falling in love with the building in the early 1950s.

She had the property restored and spent her holidays there until October 2001.

The King has also been a frequent visitor to the castle over the years.

The castle, near John O' Groats, is the most northerly inhabited castle in Scotland and the property and its gardens are run as a visitor attraction in summer months.

Other contenders

If none of the existing residences work, the King could simply buy a house for his brother.

It wouldn't be the first time that has happened. In 1980, for example, the then-Prince Charles purchased Highgrove House in Gloucestershire through the Duchy of Cornwall.

It is not known under what terms Prince Andrew would move in and occupy any new home, or how any deal would be financed.

Little is also known about what other properties Prince Andrew or Sarah Ferguson might own, if indeed they own any.

Others have speculated that the pair may leave the UK altogether.

According to The Sun, they have been offered the use of a luxurious palace in Abu Dhabi - complete with six bedrooms, a gym and swimming pool - by its ruler Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The newspaper says the offer was a thank you for Prince Andrew's "kindness" to the United Arab Emirate's royals when he was the UK's international business envoy.

The prince also has strong connections with the state of Bahrain, which could also present options for him, if a retreat in the Middle East is what he decides to go for.

Royal Lodge, the sprawling 30-room Windsor mansion which is home to Andrew

There has been increased focus on Prince Andrew - who had already stepped back as a working royal - after he relinquished his titles following growing pressure over his links with Epstein.

Last week, more details emerged about how the prince can afford his Windsor mansion, in a lease agreement which has been revealed.

The arrangement means he has only ever paid a "peppercorn" rent on Royal Lodge, and even that might not be required under his deal with the Crown Estate, a document seen by BBC News confirms.

The deal meant that instead of paying annual rent, Prince Andrew made large lump sum payments up-front, including for renovations.

In effect, those payments - which totalled around £8m - meant he was buying himself out of future rent obligations for the duration of the 75-year lease.

The scandal over Andrew's connections to Epstein has been reignited by new sexual abuse allegations contained in Virginia Giuffre's posthumously-published memoir.

While Prince Andrew has always strenuously denied abusing Ms Giuffre, fresh questions have been asked in recent days about how he is able to fund his lifestyle despite not being a working royal.

The Liberal Democrats said he should be called in front of MPs to give evidence about his lease of the lodge.

But on Thursday, the government refused to give MPs time to debate the prince's titles or his home, despite growing pressure for scrutiny.