Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor relinquished his Crown Estate lease for Royal Lodge in February, moving out of his 30-room home and relocating onto his brother, King Charles’, Sandringham Estate. While the 66-year-old awaits Marsh Farm renovations, he’s been put up at Wood Farm. The home is where the former Prince was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and he currently remains under investigation. Here’s everything you need to know about the property…
What is Wood Farm like?
© AFP via Getty ImagesA policeman stands at an entrance to Wood Farm on the royal family’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, eastern England on February 19, 2026
The red-bricked, L-shaped building with two floors and five buildings is a rather humble setting compared to the grandeur of Andrew’s former home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor. The modest property sits at the edge of the 20,000-acre Sandringham estate, around two miles from Sandringham House, and it lacks the formality of the main property. If there are staff present, they aren’t required to wear uniforms, providing a more low-key feel, for example.
What are the rules at Wood Farm?
© Getty ImagesQueen Elizabeth II banned cats on the estate
The house also has a strict no cats rule, which was originally implemented by the late Queen Elizabeth II. The rule is in place to protect pheasant fledglings that are bred for the annual shoots on the estate.
In addition, according to the Sandringham estate website, barbecues remain off-limits on the wider grounds as they present potential fire hazards to the surrounding woodland. “There are plenty of areas and spaces to picnic in the Royal Parkland. BBQs are not permitted anywhere on the Estate,” the FAQ section of the site reads.
Has Wood Farm been renovated?
Nearby Marsh Farm is undergoing extensive renovations ahead of Andrew’s arrival, which is set to be in April. Wood Farm, on the other hand, has not been updated for Andrew’s stay – and that is because it was lived in until 2021, when Prince Philip passed away. It has been reported that Philip had a new kitchen installed around the time of retirement in 2017.
What is Wood Farm’s history?
© Tim Graham Photo Library via GetPrince Philip spent his retirement at Wood Farm
King George V and Queen Mary’s son, Prince John, lived a reclusive life at Wood Farm. The royal, who was born in 1905, suffered from epilepsy and potential autism. He lived under the watchful eye of his nanny, Charlotte Bill, and was kept away from public appearances, with no official portraits commissioned after 1913.
As well as being a place for shrouded secret lives, Wood Farm has gained the rather unflattering and unofficial nickname of being the ‘divorce home’. It gained a reputation as a property for divorced spouses in 1992 when Sarah Ferguson stayed there over the Christmas period. Sarah, who was married to Andrew from 1986 to 1996, was invited to stay at Wood Farm as she had been prohibited from joining the formal festivities at Sandringham House.
As historically, unmarried partners were not permitted to attend the private festive celebrations, it meant that Princess Kate has actually stayed at the property on occasion, before she married William.
© Hulton ArchivePrince John (bottom left) with his siblings
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip often used the property as a secluded retreat, and then, it became the permanent home for Prince Philip after he retired. During his later years, Philip was said to have spent his days riding his carriages around the grounds and filling the cottage’s walls with his own artwork.
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He also loved tending to the property’s truffle farm, which had its first successful crop of Périgord black truffles in 2018, as royal biographer Gyles Brandreth explained in his book, Philip, The Final Portrait. “His attempt to create a ‘truffiere’ in the Royal Fruit Farm at Sandringham, which yields apples, gooseberries and blackcurrants, had become something of a family joke, as year after year truffle-sniffing dogs failed to root out a thing – until 2018,” he penned. Périgord black truffles are often named ‘black gold’.
Is Sarah Ferguson living at Wood Farm too?
Sarah Ferguson is not moving to Sandringham
While Sarah did reside at Royal Lodge with her ex, Andrew, she decided to part ways with him when he was evicted. The former Duchess of York has no intention to live on the Sandringham estate with Andrew, HELLO! has been informed. The mother-of-two was spotted at a health and wellness retreat at the start of the year, but her permanent residence remains unknown.