Many couples look forward to retirement as a period when they can start to spend more time together, but for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, it was a different story. In 2017, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away in 2021, retired from his public-facing duties and moved away from his wife to a retirement property of his own.
Philip moved into Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, where the late couple's son, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, is currently living amid renovations to Marsh Farm. Here, he was able to enjoy a quieter period after a life of public service, making the move at 96 years old.
© Getty ImagesQueen Elizabeth and Prince Philip go long distance
However, due to his wife continuing to be an active monarch, she continued to reside primarily at Windsor Castle and maintained Buckingham Palace for official duties. In 2020, when the British government enacted a lockdown in reaction to Covid-19 pandemic, Prince Philip moved back in with his wife at Windsor Castle so they were able to isolate together.
© gettyThe royal couple, along with selected staff, formed what was known as 'HMS Bubble' – a group of people who were permitted to maintain contact as per government guidelines in order to continue working for the queen and her husband during the lockdown.
Prince Philip returns to Sandringham
Once restrictions eased, Prince Philip returned to his Sandringham home, and the Queen went back to visiting him there on weekends. In September 2020, ahead of the second national lockdown, Vanity Fair reported: "When Philip retired in 2017, he settled into a private and solitary way of life, though royal historian Hugo Vickers said that the queen would take the train to visit him frequently before the pandemic started.
© Getty Images"The queen is due back to Windsor Castle at the beginning of October, so she only has a few weeks to take on what is essentially the royal's version of glamping. Because the marshes give them privacy, it’s the place where the royals can live as close to normal as possible."
The queen's bittersweet return
In January 2022, the late monarch made a bittersweet trip to Wood Farm. She was taken via helicopter from Windsor Castle to Sandringham, where she stayed for approximately two weeks.
© Getty ImagesIt was a particularly sentimental trip for the royal as it was her first stay at the cottage since the death of her husband in April 2021.
A sentimental property
Wood Farm was certainly a home that held serene memories for King Charles' mother. According to the Times, she would lend a hand in the kitchen during her stays there, while she and Philip were often pictured at Wood Farm in the earlier years of their marriage, visiting the horses and fishing at the ponds on the Norfolk estate.
© GettyDuring his twilight years, Philip was said to have spent hours painting, reading, and riding his carriages there.
