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Privacy NoticeFollowing on from reports that King Charles is continuing to try and remove Prince Andrew from his Royal Lodge home in Windsor as the royal brothers’ property dispute rages on, another possible home for the Duke has been questioned as a solution. Wood Farm, which is tucked away in a secluded corner of the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, is known as one of the most ‘normal’ houses owned by the royals. It has both historical and contemporary connections, from Queen Elizabeth II’s uncle Prince John to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. While very little is known about whether Prince Andrew will leave Royal Lodge behind, it was revealed that the King will cease funding his 10-person security team after October.
Prince Andrew still remains at Royal Lodge
(Image: (Image: Getty))
While it remains to be seen whether or not the Duke will leave Royal Lodge in Windsor, many reports have questioned whether Wood Farm in Norfolk would be a solution. Sandringham House, the main residence on the 20,000-acre estate located in the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is surrounded by several other buildings. These include Anmer Hall, the countryside home of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Park House and York Cottage. However, hidden from public view on this vast estate is Wood Farm. This small cottage was constructed around the same time as Sandringham House and was later sold to and modified for the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.
Wood Farm is hidden on the vast Sandringham Estate near Sandringham House (pictured)
(Image: Getty Images)
Since his retirement in 2017, Prince Philip spent most of his time at Wood Farm, rather than in London. The secluded home previously also hosted divorced spouses of royals during the holiday period, allowing them to be near their children without officially attending the royal celebrations at Sandringham House. The late Queen and Prince Philip cherished their time together at Wood Farm. According to royal biographer Robert Jobson, the Grade II-listed property has long been a retreat for the monarch, offering a more relaxed atmosphere than Windsor, Buckingham Palace, or Balmoral. Sign up to OK’s royal newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
The late Queen and Prince Philip relished their time at the home
(Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Speaking before the Queen’s passing, Robert explained: “The Grade II-listed Wood Farm, located on a secluded part of the Queen’s Sandringham Estate looking out to sea, has long been a bolthole for the Queen and her late husband Prince Philip.” “It is where the Queen, Philip, and their four children went to relax for more than 50 years. And, of course, it is where Philip made his retirement home in his twilight years with the Queen’s blessing. The Queen was known to cook and even do dishes while she was staying there.” While Prince Philip was certainly the most recent royal to live at Wood Farm on a permanent basis, the most notable resident was Prince John, the youngest son of King George V and Queen Mary.
Prince John was sent to live at Wood Farm in Sandringham
(Image: Getty)
Prince John Charles Francis was born on July 12, 1905 at York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. At the time of his birth, his parents were the Prince and Princess of Wales and his grandfather was King Edward VII. By his fourth birthday in 1909, John became “winsome” and “painfully slow.” That same year, he suffered his first epileptic seizure. He also began to show signs of what experts now believe was a severe form of autism. Although Prince John appeared in public regularly until he was 11, there were concerns for his poor behaviour – so much so, that he didn’t attend his parent’s coronation in 1911. During World War I, John saw less of his parents as they were often away on official duties. John slowly began to disappear from the public eye and no official portraits of him were commissioned after 1913.
Prince John died at the age of 13 in 1919
(Image: The Print Collector)
In 1916, the prince’s epileptic seizures became more frequent and he was sent away to live with his governess Charlotte ‘Lala’ Bill at Wood Farm, a secluded farmhouse in the corner of the Sandringham Estate. Physicians warned the family that he would likely not reach adulthood. John spent Christmas Day in 1918 with his family at Sandringham House, but was taken back to Wood Farm in the evening. The sad conclusion came on January 18, 1919, when Prince John passed away in his sleep at Wood Farm after a severe seizure. His final resting place is at St Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk. To this day, there’s lingering speculation about his isolation and the harsh possibility that he was hidden away due to his epilepsy being perceived as a weakness, risking the pure and perfect image of the monarchy.
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