Andrew Windsor is reportedly obsessed with brutal war games
Andrew Windsor retreats deeper into his isolation at Sandringham, spending long stretches of time playing video games and military-style flight simulators, as the disgraced former prince struggles with life after his dramatic royal downfall.
If RadarOnline.com King Charles’ 66-year-old younger brother, 77, reportedly officially lost the right to use his HRH title in November 2025 after years of scandal surrounding his association with convicted perpetrator Jeffrey Epstein.
After his humiliating royal exile, Windsor spent several months in seclusion at the Royal Lodge in Windsor before recently moving to Marsh Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk – a much quieter and less prestigious environment, a far cry from his life in the $40 million Royal Lodge.
Royal author Andrew Lownie, whose book Entitled examined the demise of the former Duke of York, claiming the disgraced monarch now seems to have ‘lost all purpose in life’.
He said: “I think he’s someone who needs discipline. I think the (time in combat) services (was) good for him. There was a focus and a discipline there.”
According to Lownie, without such a structure, Windsor has increasingly retreated into technology and simulation games – passions that can be traced back to his military background and pilot training.
“He is absolutely fascinated by simulations of landing planes,” Lownie said, adding that the former royal also spends long periods playing the first-person shooter game Call of Duty.
A source familiar with Windsor’s current lifestyle also told us: ‘The magnitude of Andrew’s fall has left him living an extremely isolated and restricted life compared to the world he lived in for decades as a senior royal.
‘This was someone who once moved constantly between palaces, international tours, elite dinners and private meetings with presidents, diplomats and billionaires, and now his entire routine revolves around a very confined existence within Sandringham with only a handful of aides, security officers and close staff around him.
“He now spends enormous amounts of time on flight simulators and military combat games as these allow him to mentally reconnect with periods in his life when he still felt respected, useful and important.
“His Navy background and pilot training were among the few things that really gave him discipline and confidence, so it almost gives him a nostalgic comfort to disappear into those virtual worlds where he can relive elements of that structure and control.”
The insider added: “For someone who once enjoyed all the privilege and prestige that came with being at the center of royal life, the contrast with his current reality is almost surreal. Andrew’s social world has shrunk dramatically, and there is a strong feeling among those around him that he is now hiding from public life because he knows his reputation has been permanently destroyed.
“These games and simulations that he loves have become a form of emotional escape for him. In those fantasy environments, he can temporarily forget the humiliation, scandal and public hostility that now define his image in the real world. It’s almost as if he retreats into controlled digital scenarios because they feel safer and more manageable than the reality of what his life has become.”
Windsor’s increasingly secluded life was briefly disrupted earlier this month after an alarming incident near Sandringham. Norfolk Police confirmed that officers were called to Wolferton shortly after 7.30pm on May 6 following reports of a man behaving in an intimidating manner while the former prince walked his dogs.
A police spokesman said: “Officers attended and the man was arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace and possession of an offensive weapon.”
The suspect, later identified as 39-year-old Alex Jenkinson, has since been charged with two counts of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior to harass or cause alarm or distress. One charge reportedly relates to an alleged incident the previous day.
Jenkinson has been released on conditional bail and ordered not to enter Norfolk, contact Mountbatten-Windsor directly or indirectly, or travel within 500 meters of five major royal estates.
Another royal insider claimed the confrontation further deepened Mountbatten-Windsor’s withdrawal from public life.
They said: “Andrew was already living with a huge amount of humiliation, fear and mistrust after years of public scandal and the complete collapse of his reputation, so incidents like this have only reinforced his instinct to cut himself off from the outside world.
“The feeling among those around him is that he has become very wary of strangers, public encounters and any situation where he might encounter confrontation, ridicule or hostility.
‘Since being driven from royal life he has become increasingly withdrawn and withdrawn. There are long periods when he hardly leaves Sandringham unless there is an unavoidable reason to do so, and most of his days are spent indoors, away from public view.
‘Friends say he is painfully aware that he has gone from being one of the most recognizable and privileged members of the Royal Family to someone many people now associate almost exclusively with scandal and disgrace, and that has caused him enormous embarrassment.
“The confrontation at Sandringham really shook him, as it reinforced the idea that, even in isolation, he still cannot fully escape the anger and notoriety around him. People close to Andrew believe he now feels safest living almost completely hidden in controlled environments where he can avoid public scrutiny as much as possible.”
