King Charles has appeared on the cover of Country Life magazine to mark the extensive restoration of the gardens at his Sandringham estate. The monarch is pictured in a relaxed pose, leaning on a shepherd’s crook, dressed casually in a pale open-necked shirt, beige trousers and brown suede shoes.
The portrait was taken in a formal section of the Norfolk estate’s gardens by photographer Millie Pilkington, who was personally selected by the King for the occasion. Mark Hedges, Country Life editor-in-chief, praised the King’s efforts since his accession as “remarkable”.
“Over the past three years, His Majesty The King has overseen a remarkable restoration of the gardens at Sandringham — reviving historic landscapes, reimagining formal parterres and creating new spaces of reflection and natural beauty for visitors to enjoy,” Hedges said.
The magazine highlights Sandringham’s 60 acres of “pleasure gardens” as a “showcase of the finest designs”. The King has meticulously rebuilt formal areas, introducing a sundial garden, a topiary garden inspired by his boyhood memories of Queen Alexandra’s ornamental garden, and a maze. In 2023, the Sandringham lawn was revamped into a “climate friendly” topiary garden to help the lawn cope with bouts of warm weather and heavy rainfall.
A known enthusiast, Charles once told broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh that “there’s nothing more enjoyable than getting lost in a maze”. Further enhancements include a 400-yard magnolia walk featuring hundreds of varieties, many of which are personal favourites. Country Life emphasised: “The scale, the speed and the importance of what he has already achieved cannot be overemphasised.”
Sandringham has served as the private home of five generations of British monarchs for more than 150 years and was a beloved retreat of Queen Elizabeth II. The gardens are typically open to the public from April to October. The full feature is available in this week’s edition of Country Life.
