King Charles’ neighbour has revealed what the Royal is really like in an interview at his sprawling Norfolk estate. The seventh Earl of Cholmondeley lives just a few miles from the King’s Sandringham Estate, where he and Queen Camilla escape for holidays and Christmas celebrations.
Lord David Cholmondeley revealed he and the King sometimes meet up when Charles visits Sandringham, which is separated from Houghton Hall by another royal residence, Anmer Hall, where the Prince and Princess of Wales like to holiday. The Earl, who lives with his wife, Lady Rose Cholmondeley, and their three children, commented on the King’s strong work ethic in his interview with The Telegraph, claiming “he never seems to stop” in a blunt 5-word verdict.
When asked if they were friends, the Earl responded: “Well, he’s a wonderful neighbour, and we do meet up sometimes. He loves Norfolk and spending quiet time here and planting trees. He never seems to stop.”
The Grade I listed home is full of stunning artworks, and Cholmondeley often holds temporary exhibitions, which have included Damien Hirst and Anish Kapoor.
When asked about a recent Antony Gormley art exhibition, famed for his contemporary sculptures, the Earl said King Charles was “fascinated by it”, but added that he “has his own tastes, and they are not the same as mine, really”.
Houghton Hall’s links with royalty began in the 1700s, when the extravagant owner Sir Robert Walpole, who became the first Earl of Orford in 1742, received frequent Royal visits and hosted legendary hunting parties with Norfolk gentry.
Ownership passed through two sons and a grandson, but ended up in the Cholmondeley family following the deaths of the Walpole men.
Even though their sister Mary had died many years earlier at the young age of 26, she had married the third Earl Cholmondeley, and the home descended to their family and has stayed with them ever since.
