The King's Sandringham Estate Has One Unusual "Ban"

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor wearing a dark suit and tie; an exterior shot of Marsh Farm and a sign reading "Marsh Farm"

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Andrew was originally scheduled to move out of Royal Lodge by the end of January, but the disgraced royal is still living in Windsor for the time being. On February 3, Hello! reported that the former Duke of York will soon move to Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate while renovations are underway on his new home, Marsh Farm. But as he prepares to downsize, there's one strange rule that the ex-duke will have to follow at Sandringham.

While the Royal Family is famous for being dog lovers, apparently that doesn't extend to cats. The King's private 20,000-acre estate rents out a number of its properties to the public, and per the Sandringham website, "We have a strict no cats policy."

As the Guardian noted in 2023, the rule "is probably to protect pheasant fledglings that are bred for the Sandringham shoot." Queen Elizabeth is understood to have originally enacted the ban, which has been continued by King Charles.

The exterior of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's home, Marsh Farm, surrounded by trees and a fence — The former Duke of York will relocate to Marsh Farm on the Sandringham estate.

Prince Andrew petting the late Queen's corgis at her funeral — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is seen petting the late Queen's corgis at her funeral in 2022.

Andrew, who has taken care of the late Queen's last two corgis since her death, is not known to be a cat lover. But it's also unclear whether the dogs, Sandy and Muick, will accompany him to Sandringham.

A vague palace statement regarding the dogs read: "The corgis will remain with the family."

Unfortunately, the lack of cats on the Sandringham estate won't help with Andrew's pest problem. A rat control van was spotted at Marsh Farm in mid-January, with the Daily Mail noting that "mice and rats are common in the area" due to the late Queen's cat ban.

Rats aside, Andrew's move has been delayed due to the extensive repairs needed at Marsh Farm. Work vans have been photographed at the property over the past month, and per Hello!, the ex-duke will remain at Prince Philip's beloved retreat, Wood Farm, while the work is carried out.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.