Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) had attempted to purchase the property prior to Hooley's acquisition, and, through an intermediary, Prince Edward requested to purchase the property from Hooley. Hooley agreed, allowing him to buy it at cost in 1898, after which it became part of the Sandringham Estate. The reason given was that the Prince wanted the house for the use of his daughter, Princess Maud. A further motivation for the Prince's action was to avoid the possibility of Hooley's business promoter Alexander Meyrick Broadley, whom the Prince had implicated in the Cleveland Street scandal, from becoming a constant guest on the estate. Anmer Hall was leased to John Loader Maffey, 1st Baron Rugby who served as Governor-General of Sudan, and held diplomatic posts in the Colonial Office and Ireland. His daughter, Penelope Aitken, socialised with the Royal Family and was reportedly walked spaniels around the estate with George V. From 1972 to 1990, Anmer Hall was leased to the Duke and Duchess of Kent as their country house. It was subsequently rented for the next decade by Hugh van Cutsem, a close friend of King Charles III. During his residency, the house was often visited by Prince William and Prince Harry in their childhood. The house was then leased to the family of James Everett, owner of kitchen timber company, Norfolk Oak. The lease to the Everett family was terminated early following the allocation for Anmer Hall for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The country home was given as a wedding gift to the couple from Elizabeth II. A £1.5 million refurbishment programme was put in place, paid for by private royal family funds. Renovations included a new roof, new kitchen, the addition of a conservatory, complete internal redecoration; and an extensive tree-planting programme to afford the Duke and Duchess greater privacy. The then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children moved into Anmer Hall in 2015, and used it as their main residence until 2017. It continues to be their private country home, and the family have been reported to spend weekends and school holidays at Anmer. William and Catherine's annual Christmas card has featured photographs of the couple outside the home alongside their children. The family isolated at the residence during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic. A montage video of the family, filmed within the grounds of Anmer Hall, was