King Charles' Recent Church Visit Near a New Royal Home Has a Lot of People Talking

The location choice has not gone unnoticed.

King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a church service on Sunday in a village close to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s expected new home, a move that has drawn significant attention as the former Duke of York prepares to relocate from his residence of 30 years, Royal Lodge. Instead of worshipping at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate, where they usually attend services, the King, 77, and Queen, 78, were seen at St. Peter’s Church in the village of Wolferton. The village lies around two miles from Sandringham House and is close to Marsh Farm, where Mountbatten-Windsor is expected to move.

Mountbatten-Windsor is set to leave Royal Lodge in Windsor, the property he has lived in for years. The decision follows public criticism over the terms of his lease, which reportedly involved only a nominal, or “peppercorn,” rent. His situation worsened last year after the posthumous publication of Virginia Giuffre’s memoir, Nobody’s Girl. Following the backlash, the disgraced former Duke of York was stripped of his remaining royal titles and is now moving into far more modest accommodation. Marsh Farm, the property he is expected to relocate to, has five bedrooms, whereas Royal Lodge had 30.

A source previously told HELLO! that the move has been difficult for Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. “Andrew and Sarah have to move out by 25 January,” the source said, adding, “She has stood by him all these years but is now ready to spread her wings. She won’t be moving in with him to the new house on the Sandringham Estate.”

The source added that Sarah is considering other options. “She won’t be moving into Beatrice’s Cotswolds home, though. Eugenie’s home in Portugal is a contender while she finds somewhere. Andrew has stopped getting newspapers or reading anything. He’s in his own bubble. The girls do see him. Sarah is still very upset at everything that has happened,” they said.

Mountbatten-Windsor’s expected new home also comes with an unusual and somber royal association. According to reports, the property is close to the disused Wolferton railway station, a place with a little-known but significant link to royal history. Royal editor Rebecca Russell wrote in the Express that Mountbatten-Windsor’s new base has a 'grim' royal connection. The house is located in the village of Wolferton, around seven miles from Sandringham House, and sits near the former station, which closed in 1969.

The station once played a role in two major moments in royal history. It was from Wolferton that the bodies of King George V and King George VI were transported back to London after their deaths at Sandringham in 1936 and 1952.

Renovation work has been seen at Marsh Farm in recent months. Reports say a six-foot fence has been installed, along with security lights and a Sky TV dish. According to The Sun, the house had been empty for several years and needed work before it could be lived in. There have also been reports that Mountbatten-Windsor may stay in temporary accommodation on the Sandringham estate until Marsh Farm is ready.