Construction of Sunninghill Park

In 1990, the construction of Sunninghill Park, a purpose-built royal residence in Berkshire, was completed to serve as the marital home of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson following their marriage in 1986. The house, built on a five-acre walled garden within the Sunninghill estate, became one of the most discussed royal properties of its time due to both its scale and design. The site had been purchased by Queen Elizabeth II in 1986 as a wedding gift for the couple. Construction began in 1987 on land where a previous Georgian house had stood before being destroyed by fire in 1947. The new residence was designed by Sir James Dunbar-Nasmith, architect to the Balmoral Estate, and marked the first royal home built entirely from scratch since Bagshot Park in 1879. The completed building was a two-story red-brick mansion comprising approximately 30 rooms. Its design included a large circular central hallway and a range of custom features tailored to the needs of the occupants. Among its facilities were 12 bedrooms, each with an ensuite bathroom, along with a gym, library, cinema room, swimming pool, and a helicopter landing pad within the grounds. Interior details also drew attention, including a walk-in wardrobe measuring around 100 feet in length and a large marble bathtub reportedly nicknamed “HMS Fergie” during construction. Despite its functional design, the house attracted considerable media scrutiny, with sections of the press referring to it as “South York” or “Dallas Palace,” drawing comparisons to the ranch featured in the American television series Dallas. Sunninghill Park remained associated with Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson during the early years of their marriage and became a notable example of late 20th-century royal residential development. #PrinceAndrew #SarahFerguson #SunninghillPark #RoyalHomes #UKMonarchy