Three Animal Rising activists are accused of stealing three lambs from the King’s Sandringham Estate in May 2023. Rosa Sharkey told Norwich Crown Court they targeted the estate because King Charles presents himself as an environmentalist and animal lover, and because farming was not his primary source of income. She said the action aimed to save the lambs and prompt public discussion about animal farming and its environmental effects.

Sharkey described reconnaissance at Appleton Farm before the lambs were transported to an undisclosed sanctuary, where they were reportedly placed with other animals. The defendants later displayed signs outside Windsor Castle and handed themselves in to police. Sharkey and Rose Patterson, alongside Sarah Foy, deny theft; the trial heard about their environmental concerns, opposition to slaughter and the sanctuary’s limited capacity.