The Sandringham Estate is a covetable address; it's where the Queen often spends time in the winter, and where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis - have their house Anmer Hall. It's a place that crops up regularly in the news, yet people tend not to know much about the Estate itself. Covering 13 villages in Norfolk, the royal family-owned country estate houses over 300 rental properties, both commercial and residential. It is most well known for two reasons: the royal family currently living there and Sandringham House, a Jacobethan country pile where the Queen spends the winter, and where both her father and grandfather died.
The Cambridge family have a residence at Anmer Hall, a Georgian country house that, while impressive and grand, is somewhat more understated than Sandringham House. The Queen gifted them the ten-bedroom house as a wedding gift and it was the main home to their growing family until quite recently, when they moved to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.
There are many properties on the estate, spread over 13 villages in north Norfolk, and they come up fairly regularly for rent and even for sale. Most recently, the Estate has listed Garden House, which is very near to the main house at Sandringham, on Airbnb for £354 per night. It's a pretty reasonable ask, given that the house has four bedrooms, as well as a kitchen with an Aga, a comfortable sitting room with an open fire, and plenty more. The house is also furnished using pieces from the Royal Collection, which means that everything in there is likely to have graced a royal residence at some time in the past. The house used to belong to the Queen's Head Gardener at Sandringham, so the garden is a particular highlight - there is a walled garden with romantic borders and an informal garden where dogs and children can have space to roam. Because of the proximity to Sandringham House, it's a sad fact that the property will not be available when the Queen is in residence.
Previous listings have included the particularly pleasing address of 4 Cats Bottom, Babingley, described as a 'three bedroom mid-terrace property with large garden and outbuildings.' In Kate and William's village of Anmer, there has also been a commercial let up for grabs, named 'The Old Studio', but perhaps the most covetable of the rentals is Heath Farm House in Great Bircham. The large detached period property includes 'an Aga in a spacious kitchen as well as a large landscaped garden' and would set you back £2.750/month.
Snapping up one of these lovely houses and commercial leases isn't all that simple however, there are strict guidelines to adhere to and Sandringham prioritises those who live and work locally, though they will consider people relocating to the area. There is a no cat policy, though dogs are allowed, and all properties are let unfurnished. To see the current properties available and fill out the application form, visit the Sandringham Estate website.
MAY WE SUGGEST: Everything we know about Frogmore Cottage, Harry and Meghan's former home
More great royal stories from House & Garden
- Everything we know about the royal family's taste in interiors
- A look at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's country house, Anmer Hall
- Examining Princess Diana's interiors style
- All of Princess Diana's homes
- This is what the Queen eats in a day
- Inside Highgrove House, Prince Charles' Cotswolds home (and its very unusual feature)
- All the houses that Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge has lived in
- Adelaide Cottage: All we know about Prince William and Kate Middleton's new Windsor Castle home
