Princess Diana’s childhood home, Park House, on the Royals’ Norfolk estate has been left to fall into sad disrepair – with overgrown grass, peeling window paint and stained bricks, exclusive pictures showNewsSaskia Rowlands News Reporter, Adam Cailler Senior reporter and Reddit team lead and Ruby Morris
16:41, 03 May 2025Updated 16:42, 03 May 2025
A broken shed is seen in the grounds where Diana and her siblings once played
Princess Diana’s childhood residence has sadly been left to deteriorate, just a stone’s throw away from Charles’ immaculate Sandringham House.
Born in 1961 at Park House on the Royal Norfolk estate, Diana resided in the mansion until she was 14. However, our exclusive photos reveal the once grand property now appears deserted, with overgrown grass, flaking window paint, and discoloured bricks.
A rundown shed with a collapsed roof and shattered windows sits in the grounds where a young Diana and her siblings once frolicked. The swimming pool is now encircled by a metal fence to deter intruders. Locals expressed their outrage last night, accusing Charles of “disrespecting” Diana’s legacy.
The house shuttered in 2021(Image: Trip Advisor)
Selina Raines, 38, a resident of the nearby village of Snettisham, 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.”
A barmaid, who wished to remain anonymous as she resides on the estate, added: “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.”, reports the Mirror.
Diana lived at Park House, which her parents rented from the late Queen, until moving to the family’s Northamptonshire stately home Althorp in 1975.
Diana lived at Park House until the age of 14
The 16-bed mansion that once served as a respite hotel for adults with disabilities has been left to gather dust post-pandemic, after being handed back to the estate in May 2021.
For over three decades, the property was a beacon of support, run by charity Leonard Cheshire. But now, locals are gutted to see it stand empty, with spiralling costs blamed for its closure.
A retired occupational therapist who worked at the house lamented to us: “It was marvellous – it’s very sad [that it has been left to rot]. Everything was beautiful, all the equipment was new and they had waiting lists. I would like to see it returned to what it was like back then, but I don’t think with the health service we’ve got at the moment that it’s going to happen.”
Grass around the property is overgrown
A local said: “King Charles has money to put into his caravan site but not to put into the house Diana grew up in.” And just last November, the eco-conscious monarch slapped 2,000 solar panels on the estate, giving its climate creds a decent boost.
Just a stone’s throw from King Charles’ swanky 150-bed Sandringham House, the neglected mansion is also right next to St Mary Magdalene church, where the Royals rock up for Christmas Day service each year.
Despite his age, 76 year old Charles hasn’t shied away from splashing the cash on various estate projects recently. Last June, he got the thumbs up to launch a posh 25-acre glamping site, boasting 15 ‘safari tents’ and a Motorhome Club campsite.
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