Murder probe after body found on queen's estate
By
Laura Smith-Spark, CNN
Updated 8:39 AM EST, Tue January 3, 2012
Police guard the entrance to woods on Kings Avenue where human remains were found on New Year's Day on January 3, 2012.
London (CNN) -- Police launched a murder investigation Tuesday after a woman's body was found on Queen Elizabeth II's estate in Sandringham, in the English county of Norfolk.
Officers were alerted Sunday by a member of the public who found the remains while walking in the woods by the village of Anmer, near the town of King's Lynn, Norfolk police said.
Police said the area had been sealed off while forensic investigations are carried out. An autopsy will be conducted later Tuesday.
The cause of death is not yet known. Police did not say how long the remains might have been on the estate but said they would be looking at cold cases as part of the probe.
Sandringham House, at the heart of the 20,000-acre rural estate, is where the royal family traditionally gathers to celebrate Christmas. It's been the private home of four generations of British monarchs since 1862, and is one of two private residences used by the queen. Part of the estate is a 600-acre country park open to the public.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman told CNN Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip "are in residence at Sandringham from mid-December to the end of January.
"It is a private residence, we cannot confirm whether or not the queen has been informed or not," the spokesman said, referring to the murder investigation.
Prince Philip has been recuperating at Sandringham since he was released from the hospital a week ago after having a coronary stent implanted. He attended a service at the church on the estate Monday.
Sandringham House and its gardens are open to the public from April to November.