Queen Elizabeth got a nasty New Year’s shock when a dead body was discovered near her U.K. country retreat.
Police have opened a murder investigation after a dog walker came across a woman’s remains on Sunday less than two miles from the Royals’ Norfolk estate, Sandringham House. “The body had been there for some time,” said Detective Chief Inspector Jes Fry. “The circumstances suggest this is a murder case and we are looking at missing persons reports and cold cases both locally and nationwide.”
While officers comb the wood for clues, the Royal Family remains inside the estate where they spend each Christmas and New Year. Police informed the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh of the situation on Monday night. Investigators kept the news from the public for over 24 hours, however, as detectives worked to determine how the body came to lie so close to the Royal house.
Sandringham’s reputation as “the most comfortable house in England,” may be somewhat at risk following the discovery, but Her Majesty seems determined to enjoy her stay. The 85-year-old was spotted riding a chestnut horse around the 20,000-acre estate on Monday morning, just hours after the body was discovered.
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