The death of the Queen has raised questions over the fate of her beloved Norfolk home. But, as CHRIS BISHOP reports, the new King has already quietly been taking over the reins at the Sandringham estate
While the Queen has been a regular and reassuring presence in Norfolk since childhood, her eldest son - the new King - has been a less familiar face here.
Charles has certainly made many visits to the Sandringham estate over the years but has, since the 1980s, had his own beloved rural base, at Highgrove House, in Gloucestershire.
So, with his mother's passing, the next occupant of the Norfolk property is far from certain.
But what is known is that for many months, long before the Queen's death, Charles has become increasingly involved in the running of the estate.
Indeed, from organic farming to rare breed cattle and from restoring hedgerows to rearing endangered birds, he has already revolutionised Sandringham.
The then Prince of Wales took over the management of the estate - which belongs to the Windsors, not to the nation - from his late father, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 2017.
One of the first changes he oversaw from the wood-panelled estate offices in York Cottage was to turn the 21,000-acre estate organic.
That change was inspired by his experiences at Highgrove, which includes Duchy Home Farm.
In an interview with Country Life magazine, the then prince said: "Since the beginning of the 1980s, when I first had responsibility for managing some land in my own right at Highgrove, I have wanted to focus on an approach to food production that avoids the impact of the predominant, conventional system of industrialised agriculture, which, it is increasingly clear to see, is having a disastrous effect on soil fertility, biodiversity and animal and human health."
The King believes humanity's future could depend on whether we can make the switch to more sustainable farming methods. By his philosophy, caring for the entire ecosystem means we give back more than we take from the land.
A herd of 500 red poll cattle - a hornless breed first introduced to Sandringham by King Charles's great-grandfather, George V - is planned for the Norfolk estate, along with 3,000 sheep.
As well as producing organically-grazed food, the animals - housed in cowsheds with solar panels on the roof - will also help to fertilise the land.
But the King has also been determined to see the lands he inherits from his mother used for more than simply food production.
He has overseen a programme of "ecological delivery" which includes hedge and tree planting, along with bird boxes and wide field margins to encourage insects.
Sandringham's gardens have also been under renovation, with an emphasis on protecting rare and native plants.
Sandringham is also playing a pivotal role in a major project to restore numbers of the threatened curlew, in which birds are hatched from eggs collected from military air bases - which would otherwise be destroyed under license for safety reasons - and reared for release into the wild.
"I have always cherished the evocative call of the curlew," the now King said at the launch of the project. "But it is now dangerously close to being something that our grandchildren will never have the chance to enjoy.
"I am therefore particularly delighted that the Sandringham estate has been able to assist in a small way the recovery of this wonderful bird."
Even changes to the gift shop have been attributed to the growing influence of Charles, with the appearance of merchandise similar to that sold in his Highgrove shop now on the shelves in Norfolk.
Products include Sandringham-branded goods, which range from bottles of Sandringham beer and gin to lip balm.
The restaurant has had a revamp, too, with a menu focusing more on local, seasonal produce.
Royal watchers say the Norfolk site has become Charles' new "passion project" and that his intensifying involvement in the running of the estate has seen him spending less time at Highgrove.
Two years ago he decided not to renew the lease on the farm near his Gloucestershire estate which he has had since the 1980s and which produced his Duchy Originals brand.
Some have suggested that Highgrove estate may end up increasingly used as a venue for the charitable foundation he ran as a prince.
What, if anything, that might mean for Sandringham remains to be seen.
Sandringham Days
Successive generations of the Royal Family have cherished Sandringham since 1862, when Queen Victoria bought the house and its rolling estate for the then Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII.
King George V, who was born at Sandringham, described it as "the place I love best anywhere in the world".
From its pinewoods to its elegant tree-lined lanes, from the once bustling Royal Station at Wolferton to the Royal Stud a short hack from the great house, the Royal Family have shaped their corner of Norfolk around their love of the countryside.
Queen Elizabeth II inherited the estate after her father, King George VI, died at Sandringham on February 6, 1952.
During her reign, its country park was opened to the public along with the house and its gardens, museum and the tiny church where the Royal Family worship on Christmas Day.
The flower show, which began as a church fete with a gardening competition almost 150 years ago has grown into one of the region's biggest summer events, while the estate now stages all manner of other shows, concerts and entertainment.
While Charles does not have his own Norfolk base, his elder son and heir, William - the new Prince of Wales - has a country home at Anmer Hall, on the edge of the estate, which was given to him and wife as a wedding gift by the Queen.
Some reports have suggested the new King may chose to gift Sandringham to William.
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