Starting in February, living like a true queen will be possible, albeit temporarily. Elizabeth II rents a property in Sandringham, one of the favorite royal residences of the British monarchs. The house for rent, called Garden House, belonged to her Majesty’s head gardener and is part of the 10,000 hectares that the royal estate occupies in the county of Norfolk, about 100 miles north of London.
As the queen usually spends long periods of time in Sandringham, this gardener’s cottage can only be enjoyed when she is not residing there, for obvious security reasons. The place is furnished and decorated with objects that have belonged to royalty and that have adorned other residences of Isabel II. It has four rooms, six beds and can accommodate a maximum of eight people. From 410 euros per night, anyone who wants to can book their stay through Airbnb with a minimum of three nights. In other words, whoever wants to live the experience will have to invest at least 1,200 euros.
The holiday rentals page advertises the Gardener’s House as a “lovely hideaway, owned by Her Majesty The Queen, located in the heart of her much-loved haven of Sandringham and the closest piece of real estate to Sandringham House.” Despite being publicized for just a few hours, there are almost no dates available to live the experience until November 2023. As for the gardens, Airbnb reports that they are “a pure delight and provide a magnificent setting for the idyllic home.” . In addition, there is a more informal ground where guests, children and dogs can relax and be safe.
The British royal family is especially fond of Sandringham. It belongs to them since 1862, when Queen Victoria acquired the mansion. The farm has served as a refuge for four generations of monarchs, where they have disconnected from the media scandals that historically surround the family. It is also where they spend the Christmas holidays, from December to February. Other than that, it’s a place shrouded in melancholy for the queen. Within her walls, her father and her king, George VI, was born and died. The same day she died, February 6, 1952, Elizabeth II became the new monarch of the United Kingdom. Since then, she has the habit of staying
This January, the queen returned to the estate for the first time after the death of her husband, Philip of Edinburgh, in April 2021, to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee. On this trip, she did not stay in the main house, but rather at Wood Farm, the property chosen by her husband to spend much of his time after retiring from public life in 2017. They were four years in which he turned the space into a organic farm. In her past birthday, the monarch decided to spend the day in this residence because of the meaning it has for her. Until then she had always celebrated her birthday in Windsor, her usual residence on weekends, but that is where Philip of Edinburgh is buried.
This residence within the Sandringham estate is not the first property that Queen Elizabeth II puts up for rent. A few days ago it became known that eight cabins located in Balmoral —the queen’s summer residence and where it is now—, known as Colt Cottages, had also been put up for rent for one-week stays. For those interested, the price starts at 640 euros; or, what is the same, just over 90 euros a day for a family. The cost depends on the size of the cabin and the season in which it is enjoyed. The most expensive is Rhebreck Lodge, which is rated four stars and sleeps six and can be rented for €1,800 a week. In this case, you can only enjoy the accommodations between January 7 and March 31, dates on which the queen does not reside in Balmoral.
