King Charles and Queen Camilla have reportedly been informed of the death of a respected doctor who treated members of the royal family and was found dead at her home just miles from the Sandringham estate.
Dr. Hannah Terry, 45, whose married name was Hannah Cain, was discovered dead inside her home in Dersingham, Norfolk, early Sunday, Oct. 4.
Her husband, 45-year-old Mark Cain, has since been charged with her murder.
British reports say Terry was among a group of doctors available to care for members of the royal family while they stayed at Sandringham, the King’s private country estate in eastern England.
She is believed to have treated senior royals, including Queen Camilla, during visits to the estate. The Sun and The Times reported that King Charles and Camilla were informed of her death.
Buckingham Palace has not publicly commented on the case.
Terry worked as a physician at Grimston Medical Centre, located only a few miles from Sandringham, and was remembered by relatives and patients as a dedicated doctor and devoted mother of three.
Norfolk Police said officers were called to a home on Fern Hill in Dersingham shortly after 2:20 a.m. Sunday after being contacted by ambulance crews. A woman in her 40s was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mark Cain was arrested on suspicion of murder and taken into custody for questioning. Prosecutors announced Tuesday that he had been formally charged with Hannah Cain’s murder.
He appeared before Norwich Magistrates’ Court Wednesday morning and was ordered to remain in custody ahead of another court appearance at King’s Lynn Crown Court on Thursday, Oct. 8.
The Crown Prosecution Service stressed that the case is now active and that the charge is an allegation that must be proven in court.
Details presented during Wednesday’s hearing provided a disturbing glimpse into the investigation.
According to British court reports, prosecutor Jackie Hanlon said emergency responders found Terry unconscious and not breathing in an upstairs bedroom. The court was told she had suffered a blunt-force injury to the right side of her head along with an injury that could be consistent with compression of the neck.
Norfolk Police have separately said that a Home Office post-mortem examination was conducted Monday but that the official cause of death remains pending further investigation.
Reports have also said that Terry’s children were hosting friends for a sleepover at the family home on Saturday night before emergency crews were called early the following morning.
Her death has stunned the surrounding community.
Terry had worked at Grimston Medical Centre and was also associated with Norfolk Sky Aesthetics. The medical practice temporarily closed following her death, citing extremely difficult circumstances affecting its staff.
It later reopened while telling patients that it would not comment on the circumstances surrounding Terry’s death and that official updates would come from police.
Her family issued an emotional tribute Wednesday.
“We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful Hannah,” the family said in a statement released by Norfolk Police.
They described her as “kind, generous and loving” and said she was a beloved mother, daughter, sister, aunt, daughter-in-law and friend.
The family also praised the care she provided to her patients, who knew her professionally as Dr. Terry.
“We are incredibly proud of the woman she was and of the great care she took of all her patients,” the family said.
Police said specialist officers are continuing to support Terry’s relatives as the investigation proceeds.
The case is expected to move to King’s Lynn Crown Court on Thursday, where Cain is scheduled to make his next appearance.
For now, prosecutors have cautioned that criminal proceedings are active and that Cain is entitled to a fair trial. He has been charged with murder but has not been convicted.
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