King Charles’ Sandringham estate became the unlikely center of a lamb theft case after three animal-rights activists removed three sheep. More than three years later, a Norwich Crown Court jury found all three women guilty following a closely watched trial.
Rosa Sharkey, Sarah Foy, and Rose Patterson had argued that they rescued the lambs rather than stole them. Their defense centered on their belief that the King would have supported their actions because of his environmental and animal-welfare views.
Three animal-rights activists were reportedly convicted after removing lambs from King Charles’ estate
According to ITV News, the jury unanimously convicted the three Animal Rising members after deliberating for three hours and 48 minutes. Judge Anthony Bate gave each woman a 12-month community order, 150 hours of unpaid work, and £250 toward prosecution costs.
The case dated back to May 24, 2023, when the women entered Appleton Farm on the Sandringham estate. They spent hours in the field before carrying three lambs to a waiting van. A fourth person drove the animals to a sanctuary but did not face trial.
The activists named the lambs Sammy, Sunny, and Sooty. They later posted footage of the removal and traveled to Windsor Castle with signs reading, “I rescued the King’s sheep.”
In statements to police, the women said they believed the King “would have consented to the lambs’ rescue.” According to The Independent, Sharkey also told the court that Charles “says he’s an environmentalist and an animal lover.” Sharkey admitted they had taken animals that were not theirs. She also acknowledged having “no intention of giving them back,” saying the action aimed to expose sheep farming and slaughter practices.
Prosecutor Dingle Clark rejected that reasoning during the trial. He described the claim that the King would have consented as “obvious nonsense” and argued that the women knowingly took property belonging to someone else.
The lambs remained at an undisclosed sanctuary after the verdict. Animal Rising maintained that the animals were safe, alive, and well, while authorities had not recovered them.
The group also said the guilty verdict did not change its view of the 2023 action. Patterson, an Animal Rising director, continued to describe the episode as a rescue rather than a theft.
For now, Sammy, Sunny, and Sooty remained far from Sandringham. Their unusual royal connection had turned an animal-rights protest into a courtroom saga. unusual royal connection had turned an animal-rights protest into a courtroom saga.
