Princess Diana childhood home: From a store of memories to ruins, how this British royal estate lost its charm
Princess Diana's childhood home - the Royals' Norfolk estate in Park House - reportedly lies vacant, waiting for some repair. The massive property which was once a store house of memories has lost its charm as smashed windows, caved-in roof and dilapidated shed point to lost times of glory.
Located near King Charles' pristine Sandringham House, the abandoned mansion was home to young Princess Diana since birth for a total of 14 years. Princess Diana, the first wife of king Charles, reportedly lived at Park House before moving to the family's Northamptonshire stately home Althorp in 1975. Mother of Prince William and Harry spent her crucial early years living at the 16-bed splendid property, whose swimming pool is surrounded by a metal fence to keep trespassers out.
Once a glamorous property, the neglected Princess Diana's childhood home now features unkempt grass, peeling window paint and stained bricks, Mirror reported. Despite its prime location, merely 500 metres away from King Charles' well-kept 150-bed Sandringham House, the house has been overlooked. It is important to note that the Norfolk estate stands tall, adjacent to the church of St Mary Magdalene, where the Royals observe the Christmas Day service annually.
Dejected over the abandoned estate that has links to the British royalty, locals charged at King Charles of 'disrespecting' Diana's legacy. A disappointed 38-year-old resident of nearby village of Snettisham, named Selina Raines, said, 'It's heartbreaking to learn how the house has been left. If locals were aware they would be shocked - but you can't see it [the house] from the road so very few know how it's been left, it's really sad,' Mirror reported.
Reacting to the abysmal state of affairs over the management of the property, a barmaid, who lives on the estate stated, 'It's disrespectful - the house should be restored to how it was. The Estate houses that are hidden from public view don't get what they need.'
The 16-bed mansion in discussion was leased by Princess Diana's parents from the late Queen. The property ran as a respite hotel for adults with disabilities for over 30 years after being donated to charity Leonard Cheshire. Amid spiralling maintenance costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the mansion was handed back to the estate in May 2021, which has remained vacant ever since.
First Published: 4 May 2025, 09:00 AM IST
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