Where might Andrew live on the Sandringham estate?

Where might Andrew live on the Sandringham estate?

Where might Andrew live on the Sandringham estate?
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Ben Hatton & Maia Davies
Getty Images, York Cottage, Alamy, Oliver's Travels
Anmer Hall, York Cottage, Park House and Gardens House are all on the estate - but not all of them are available


Newly stripped of his "prince" title, Andrew is moving from his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, to the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, it is understood.

Formal notice was given to surrender the lease at the Royal Lodge on Thursday, and the move will take place as soon as possible.

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

It was bought as a private country retreat for the future Edward VII when he was Albert, Prince of Wales in 1862, and has since been passed down from monarch to monarch.



The estate itself covers several residential villages and hamlets, and includes nearly 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares) of farmland.

The main building - Sandringham House - is thought to have more than a hundred rooms, including a ballroom.

It remains a country retreat for the Royal Family and is where they traditionally gather at Christmas.

Sandringham is a private estate - not an official royal residence - and it is understood the King will be privately funding Andrew's accommodation there, and that it will not be directly funded by the taxpayer.

The Palace has not yet said exactly where on the estate Andrew will live, or when he could move.

But royal sources have said it will not be immediate, and instead be "as soon as possible and practicable".

Here is a look at some of the options on the estate.

York Cottage
Alamy


Originally known as Bachelor's Cottage, York Cottage is about a quarter of a mile from the main house.

It has its own set of stables and kennel buildings, according to Historic England, and overlooks one of two man-made lakes on the estate.

There were reports ahead of Prince Harry's marriage to the Duchess of Sussex that the pair might have been gifted the use of York Cottage by Elizabeth II for use as a country home, but no such plan was ever confirmed and the move never materialised.

It has reportedly been used as an office and accommodation for staff in recent years.
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Park House
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The birthplace of Diana, Princess of Wales and her childhood home, Park House was rented by the Spencer family for many years.

In 1983 it was gifted to Leonard Cheshire, a disability charity, which used it to run a 16-bedroom hotel for the disabled, their carers and family.

The charity planned a £2.3m refurbishment before the pandemic hit, but announced in 2020 it would not go ahead with the proposal and said instead that it was working with the Sandringham estate to exit the lease.

Gardens House
Oliver's Travels
Gardens House was put on the market as a holiday let over the summer


Another option is the Gardens House, which was once the residence of the head gardener on the Sandringham estate.

The Edwardian house has six bedrooms and three bathrooms - and is one of two properties on the estate available to the general public as a holiday let.

It was put on the market in July at a weekly price of £4,110. It is not unusual for royal residences to rent out property to holidaymakers - with eight cottages and lodges available for hire at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Wood Farm
Shutterstock


This is one option that is understood to have been ruled out.

The farmhouse, described as "small and intimate" by former housekeeper Teresa Thompson, has strong associations with 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.

Anmer Hall
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Anmer Hall was gifted to the Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales as a wedding present by the late queen in 2013 - so this may be an unlikely choice.

They spend much of the school holidays in the 10-bedroom, Grade II*-listed house, which is about 2 miles (3km) east of the main Sandringham house.

The Georgian property dates back to about 1802, but some parts are much older - and it has formed part of the Sandringham estate since 1898.