Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward are two essential senior members of the Royal Family, with the couple often being praised for the number of royal engagements they do each year.
In 2024, the couple stepped up on multiple occasions for Prince Edward’s brother the King as he underwent treatment for cancer, with the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh receiving more praise than ever before.
However, despite being among the most senior members of the Royal Family, Sophie, 59, and Edward, 60, they were given unusual sleeping arrangements when staying with the King for Christmas Day at Sandringham.
While they are used to their impressive 120-room mansion in Surrey, the couple had to lower their expectations when staying at Sandringham for Christmas, especially as the royal home can only sleep around 16 to 18 people comfortably.
This can be a problem for the Royal Family, who often have around 40 people in attendance for the special celebrations.
While this is not a problem for some royals, such as Prince William, Princess Kate, and their three children, who reportedly return to their own Norfolk home at the end of the day, it has sometimes proved difficult for Sophie and Edward who have no where to stay nearby.
According to Rebecca English on Mail+’s Palace Confidential, the royal couple were once told to stay over in the staff quarters as there were not enough bedrooms for the royals to stay over the festive period at Sandringham.
Rebecca said: “In previous years I’ve been told that they’ve actually had to kick staff out of their quarters. And Edward and Sophie were put in some of the staff quarters because they had nowhere else to stay.”
Although the couple are believed to not mind things like this, the unusual sleeping arrangement is likely to be a shock compared to the lifestyle they usually enjoy.
As reported by Hello!, the couple’s Grade II listed Surrey home is worth around £30 million and has been the couple’s base since their royal wedding in 1999.
The home has around 120 rooms, including private bedrooms, a kitchen, reception rooms and a conservatory.
Edward and Sophie also both have home offices to work from.
The property, just a short drive from Windsor Castle, is not open to the public.
