Even though Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s next home will not be confirmed as Sandringham is a privately owned estate; it has been widely reported that Marsh Farm will be where the disgraced Duke will move. This came after a ‘no-fly’ restriction was extended to cover the home, which is located in the village of Wolferton, seven miles from Sandringham House.
The village is also located seven miles north of King’s Lynn in West Norfolk. Aside from being close to one of Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite homes, it is perhaps most famous for having the abandoned Wolferton Railway Station.
The former train station closed in 1969 and was where the bodies of King George V and King George VI began their final journeys back to London after they both died at Sandringham in 1936 and 1952, respectively.
Princess Elizabeth was not in the UK when she succeeded to the throne on February 6, 1952. She was instead at the beginning of a Commonwealth tour in Kenya when her father died suddenly at Sandringham from lung cancer, aged 56. She arrived back in London the next day and soon travelled to Norfolk to begin preparations for her father’s funeral.
After King George VI had laid in state at St Mary Magdalene Church, his coffin was placed on top of a gun carriage and taken to Wolferton station. The procession saw male members of the family follow on foot and female royals, including the King’s widow and the new Queen, follow in cars.
The journey to London ended when the King’s coffin arrived at King’s Cross and was taken to Westminster Hall to continue lying in state before his funeral four days later.
The King’s coffin was pulled by sailors on a gun carriage from New Palace Yard to Paddington Station and then pulled through Windsor town to St George’s Chapel for the service.
Sixteen years earlier, King George VI’s father, King George V, had also died at Sandringham House at the age of 70 and took a very similar journey back to London. His death was shrouded in controversy as he was euthanised with morphine and cocaine to ease his suffering.
The doctor wrote that the King died at 11.55pm so that his death could be reported the next morning in The Times, rather than the “less appropriate … evening journals”. After his death, the King’s coffin was moved to St Mary Magdalene’s, before being taken to Wolferton Station and back to London.
Aside from Marsh Farm, the village itself is closest to Wood Farm – the home where the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh spent large periods of his time after his retirement from royal duties in 2017. Other than him, the most notable resident was King George V and Queen Mary’s youngest son, Prince John, who was hidden away from public life after his epilepsy diagnosis.
It was recently reported that Wood Farm was considered as an option for Andrew’s next home, however, it was reportedly thought to be “too close” to the Royal Family.