Queen Elizabeth's Garden Home Airbnb Listing Taken Down

By Ashley Turner

If you were planning to book a night on one of the queen's estates, you're too late for now. In response to the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday and an ill-timed email promoting an Airbnb listing on royal grounds, the Royal Family has removed the listing for the short-term stay, according to The New York Post.

Before Queen Elizabeth's passing, the garden house on her Sandringham Estate in Norfolk was listed on the popular vacation rental site and already booked by guests through February 2024. The four-bedroom, two-bathroom property is part of the 600-acre estate, listed by Norfolk Hideaways, and closest to Sandringham House, where the royal family traditionally spends Christmas and New Year. Formerly, it served as the home of the queen's head gardener, also called Garden House. 

The Royal Family and Norfolk Hideaways initially listed the property for rent in 2019, and it returned to the rental market a day before Queen Elizabeth passed away. "Due to the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth, the hosting company has taken the listing down at this time," a source told The New York Post. "Reinstating the listing is at the discretion of the hosting company and the owners of the property."

"As Sandringham Estate is a working royal residence, the availability for the public to stay in this listing is incredibly limited," the source added. Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, also own a residence on the estate. Queen Elizabeth gave them the 10-bedroom Anmer Hall after their wedding in 2011, People reported. According to the estate's official website, the royal family had owned the estate since 1862, when it was given to Prince Albert for his 21st birthday.

Described as a "charming hideaway" on Airbnb, the brick house has two floors and can accommodate eight guests. All of the furniture and pictures in the home were once housed in a royal residence, according to the listing per CBS News, and the home has ample space to relax. The house can accommodate three dogs ("furry friends welcome") and "is all about an appreciation of the great outdoors and the beautiful gardens it sits within."

"We are delighted that the Garden House on Her Majesty The Queen's Sandringham Estate is now available to book on Airbnb," Amanda Cupples, Airbnb's General Manager for Northern Europe, told The New York Post shortly before the queen's death was announced."This picturesque cottage set in the grounds of one of the Queen's most beautiful estates is a perfect hideaway for guests looking for a truly unique stay, and hopefully they may even see a Corgi or two!" Cupples added. When or if the listing is reinstated, booking a stay there will cost about £364, more than $400, a night. 

0comments
Start the Conversation

of