The woman’s remains were discovered by a member of the public after the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, attended a church service for New Year’s Day.
“We are at the very early stages of the investigation and it could be a complex inquiry,” Detective Chief Inspector Jes Fry of Norfolk Police said. “The body had been there for some time. The circumstances suggest this is a murder case and we are looking at missing persons reports and cold cases, both locally and nationwide.”
The queen was at Sandringham for Christmas and New Year’s and is not supposed to return to Buckingham Palace until February, according to a royal spokesman. The queen was informed about the discovery of the woman’s body. The estate at Sandringham has been a private home for four generations for British monarchs dating back to 1862.
