From Royal Circles to Rural Rebellion: Lady Milbank's Wind Farm Battle
She once moved in the most exclusive social circles, catching the eye of Prince William and becoming part of Prince Harry's Highgrove set. Natalie Hicks-Lobbecke, however, was never just another decorative presence at the Beaufort Polo Club. She distinguished herself through humanitarian work in Africa and later oversaw post-conflict reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Today, as Lady Milbank following her 2008 marriage to baronet Sir Edward Milbank, she faces a challenge requiring all her diplomatic skill and resilience. I can reveal she is confronting a nearly 500-strong rebellion on her husband's sprawling Barningham estate.
The Controversial Development
The 7,000-acre estate encompasses breathtaking, unsullied moorland straddling the North Yorkshire and County Durham border. This description of "unsullied" landscape is precisely what objectors fear will be destroyed by the proposed Hope Moor Wind Farm.
Norwegian company Fred Olsen plans to install twenty wind turbines, each towering over 650 feet high, across this protected landscape. Locals have denounced the proposal as "criminal" desecration that threatens centuries of conservation work.
"If it proceeds, the turbines will be visible across the Yorkshire Dales and Pennines as far as the Lake District," one local source explains, describing the plan as "wholly unsuited to the area" and certain to imperil "a wildlife haven which has been nurtured over centuries."
A Costly Inheritance
Lady Milbank, 47, has previously spoken of finding "blissful" beauty in the landscape after her experiences in war zones. She praised the "truly remarkable" families and community, noting their "fabulous insight" and friendliness.
However, this community harmony faces strain as locals fear the Labour Government might approve the development with support from the estate owners. One opponent reflects: "It's a hugely expensive estate to maintain, so the Olsen golden goose would certainly help the situation."
The Milbanks decline to comment, but Natalie has acknowledged the financial challenges of maintaining Barningham Park, the baronial family seat dating from the 14th century. She described urgent restoration work needed on the medieval core, with water coming through floors, rotting structural timbers, and walls turning green.
Royal Connections and Local Resistance
Could royal intervention help? The Prince of Wales has occasionally flown himself to Barningham Hall by helicopter, raising questions about whether he might mediate. Meanwhile, the rebellion continues to grow, with nearly 500 objectors mobilising against what they see as industrialisation of precious moorland.
This conflict represents a dramatic shift for Lady Milbank, from international humanitarian work and royal social circles to becoming the focus of intense local opposition over an energy development that pits conservation against estate economics.
