Sarah 'Fergie' Ferguson is tipped to relocate to a former Cotswolds cattle shed that's been transformed into a chic annex by her eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, according to a royal expert.
The 66-year-old former Duchess of York has spent more than 20 years living rent-free at Royal Lodge with her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, 65, but both were served an eviction notice by King Charles III in late October over their links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
While it's believed Andrew will be rehoused on the King's Sandringham Estate, speculation has swirled about where Fergie will land- with early whispers suggesting she'd decamp to Portugal to live with her younger daughter, Princess Eugenie, 35.
But neighbours in Princess Beatrice's Cotswolds village told The Mail on Sunday's Harriet Kean that they think the former Duchess will take up residence in the converted outbuilding on Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's £3.5 million (AUD $7.1 million) estate.
The structure, originally a cattle shed, had been refitted as accommodation by previous owners before the couple purchased the property in 2021- and locals say it now looks move-in ready.
"The granny annexe seems to be ready to move into now," a neighbour told Kean.
They added that the building's stonework had recently been repointed, gutters renovated and woodwork repainted.
"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."
The one-bedroom annex sits across a "cypress-lined courtyard" from the six-bedroom main residence, and has its own entrance.
According to neighbours, it has recently been "gutted and refitted with new doors and windows".
Kean noted that a cosy, discreet bolthole in the ultra-fashionable Cotswolds would likely appeal far more to Fergie than "desolate Sandringham in Norfolk", where Andrew is heading.
Both Andrew and Fergie are expected to vacate Royal Lodge by the end of the month, although the exact date hasn't been confirmed publicly.
Fergie has also been linked to a possible move to Australia, where her elder sister and closest confidante, Jane Ferguson, 68, lives.
Another rumoured option was a shift to Portugal, where Princess Eugenie owns a £3.6 million (around $7.2 million AUD) seafront home.
Sources told Express.co.uk that Eugenie is preparing a guest suite for her mother at her villa at the exclusive Costa Terra Golf and Ocean Club Resort.
One wealthy Melides resident claimed: "The word here is that Fergie will be arriving sometime in January.
"How long she'll stay is anyone's guess but if it's a long-term move, I can guarantee she'll fit well into the social scene. Scores of celebrities and Hollywood stars have been snapping up properties in the area."
Meanwhile, it's understood Fergie's corgis, once owned by the late Queen Elizabeth II, will be taken in by King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Senior courtiers told celebrity reporter Rob Shuter that the King has become "deeply unsettled" by the "deteriorating situation at Royal Lodge", where the dogs, Sandy and Muick, have lived since Her Majesty's death in 2022.
Insiders say His Majesty is now "convinced the corgis need a more stable home and better judgment around them."