The monarch was pictured inside Sandringham House
King Charles may reside primarily at Clarence House with Queen Camilla, but the couple have several other homes up and down the country they can visit.
With numerous live-in staff and the occasional invited guest, we couldn’t help but wonder how the monarch ensures his properties are kept toasty throughout the year. As spring begins to warm up the weather, households are still relying on central heating and radiators to pump out warmth and create cosy evenings – but not Charles.
In his latest photo from Sandringham – his private country retreat where he spent time following his cancer treatment in 2024 – Charles stood inside one room with surprisingly snug interiors as he hosted Ukrainian President Zelensky.
A roaring log fire was lit in the majestic fireplace that serves as the focal point of the room. It was no doubt pelting out heat, warming nearby Charles and Volodymyr Zelensky.
It was a marked change from January 2025, when Charles welcomed the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Terrance Drew, in the same room.
While the red velvet sofa and modern indoor trees remained the same, the fire was not lit, suggesting Charles had previously relied on the sunlight streaming through the glass doors and costly heating systems to warm the room.
Saving on heating
Gas central heating costs an estimated 50p to £1.50 per hour, depending on the size of your home and boiler – in Charles’ case, believed to be between 100 to 200 rooms – as well as how well your home is insulated.
Those who want an even more cost-effective heating solution to open fires often turn to log burners, with Google searches in the UK increasing by 178 per cent from autumn to winter.
Dave Sayce, Founder and Managing Director at Compare My Move, revealed how log fires can increase a home’s value by five per cent. Meanwhile, Stephen Talbot, sales director of Logs Direct, added that the investment in purchasing and installing a log burner is much lower than other larger renovations.
“If you have a chimney already, then replacing an open fire with a log burner is a straightforward switch. And when you’re burning well-seasoned, kiln-dried logs, you can be sure that you’re using it with sustainability in mind, as the low moisture content means less smoke is produced.
“Plus, log burners tend to be made with long-lasting and easy to maintain materials, meaning that you’re unlikely to ever have to replace it.”
Inside Sandringham
Sandringham House stands in a 20,000-acre estate in the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, alongside around 300 other residential properties in the area,
Charles and his late mother Queen Elizabeth II – who began the tradition of hosting the royal Christmas celebrations there – are not the only ones who loved the home.
King George V reportedly described Sandringham as “the place I love better than anywhere else in the world,” while his grandson, King George VI, wrote: “I have always been happy here and I love the place.”
