Queen Elizabeth has reportedly passed down the control of her Sandringham estate to Prince Charles following the unintended death of an owl, which was caught in a Fenn trap on the working grounds.
According to royal correspondents Chris Ship and Lizzie Robinson, the controversial incident, which led to a police investigation, prompted the Queen to have her heir take charge of the country's farmland.
Robinson implied that it's fitting for the Prince of Wales to assume control of the Queen's working estate. Prince Charles is a known environmentalist who uses organic techniques on his farm in Highgrove.
Ship said the use of Fenn traps at the Queen's working estate raised many humane questions this year after the royal family has been preaching about animal conservation. In early December, the National Anti-Snaring Campaign learned that there are still about 10 Fenn traps on the Queen's land.
The owl's death happened in May, but photos of the animal's dead body snarled in the trap recently surfaced on social media after the campaign group called on the Queen and her gamekeepers at Sandringham to switch to DOC traps. Buckingham Palace acknowledged the incident by saying that it was "unfortunate and isolated."
For decades, Queen Elizabeth has been running Sandringham as a place to keep and raise her game birds, partridge, and pheasants. Fenn traps apparently protect these birds from other wildlife and predators roaming the estate. However, in April, new legislation was signed to permit the use of Fenn traps for killing mice, rats, vermin, weasels, and grey squirrels.
In August, Clarence House released a statement confirming that the Prince of Wales will no longer continue the lease of Home Farm in Highgrove. Instead, the heir to the throne will consider organically farming in Sandringham.
Prince Charles planned to raise 500 cattle herds in Sandringham and redevelop its system into an organic working estate. However, locals reportedly shut down the plan because the smell coming from the herd could affect the air quality, especially near the residential areas. A decision from local officials has not yet been carried out.
The Queen used to manage Sandringham together with Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. However, upon his retirement in 2017, Her Majesty needed new help for her working farm.
Queen Elizabeth and the royal family spend their Christmas holidays in Sandringham. This year, however, the estate will be empty due to the COVID-19 restrictions. The Queen and Prince Philip will be isolating at Windsor Castle this winter.
