Key facts
- Royal Family decorator Chris Eadie was found dead by hanging on October 10, 2025.
- An inquest heard Eadie was upset after King Charles disliked a pagoda painting at Sandringham.
- Eadie had worked at the Sandringham estate for over 30 years.
- His brother described him as a perfectionist who was devastated by the loss of work.
- Eadie's partner noted his declining mental and physical health prior to his death.
Chris Eadie, a decorator who worked for the Royal Family for over 30 years, was found dead by hanging in his Norfolk home on October 10, 2025, an inquest has heard. The incident followed a dispute with King Charles over a pagoda painting at the Sandringham estate.
Mark Eadie, Chris Eadie's brother, told the inquest that his sibling was a perfectionist who was devastated after King Charles ordered a pagoda he had painted to be repainted by another contractor. Chris Eadie had been asked to paint the pagoda in colours requested by the King, but despite his own reservations about the palette, he completed the work. However, the monarch was unhappy with the result and ordered it to be redone.
Eadie's partner also testified, stating that he had been losing weight and suffering from a lack of appetite, fearing he had cancer. She added that his mental health was deteriorating, and he was deeply upset by the reduction in his Sandringham work, with the pagoda incident being a particular blow. She also expressed fears he might harm himself six weeks prior to his death.
Police found a handwritten note and an open bottle of spirits at the scene. A post-mortem examination concluded Eadie died by hanging. The area coroner for Norfolk, Yvonne Blake, ruled that Eadie took his own life but stated she was not satisfied he intended to die, citing a decline in mental health and work-related upset that prevented sufficient clarity of mind.
Separately, Old Etonian interior designer Nicky Haslam warned that King Charles's intention to continue living at Clarence House rather than Buckingham Palace could diminish the palace's appeal and impact its generated revenue.