Royal Palaces – Sandringham House
Where the British Royal Family Gathers for Christmas
© Kim Rush
Oct 22, 2009
Sandringham House, located in Norfolk, England, was bought by Prince Albert Edward, the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and future King Edward VII, in 1862. Like Balmoral, it is privately owned by the royal family. The Queen and Prince Albert wanted a retreat for their son away from the distractions of London. Sandringham became the first home of the Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra of Denmark after their wedding in March 1863. The newlyweds ordered the construction of new extensions and improvements to the estate. It soon became apparent, however, that the house was not suitable for the couple’s needs and the Prince rebuilt the house completely.
Sandringham House was visited by Heads of State, including visits by Kaiser Wilhelm and members of the Royal Family. A ball was held three times a year: one for the gentry, one for the farmers, and one for the servants. In addition to entertaining guests, the Prince of Wales’s favorite activities at Sandrignham was shooting. Edward liked to be outside as much as possible and invented ST – Sandringham Time – in order to make the most of the daylight during the winter. All the clocks on the estate were advanced by half an hour. The practice continued until King Edward VIII abolished it in 1936.
Queen Victoria visited Sandringham for the first time in 1871 after Edward fell ill with typhoid. The prince survived. Twenty-one years later, however, Prince Albert Victor, the eldest son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, died at Sandringham House after suffering from influenza.
York Cottage
In 1893, Prince George, the second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the future King George V, moved into a house on the Sandringham estate with his new wife, Princess Mary of Teck. The house became known York Cottage. One of Prince George’s contributions to the estate was the founding of the first royal pigeon loft.
After his accession in 1901, King Edward VII continued to make improvements to the estate. After his death in 1910, Queen Alexandra continued to live at Sandringham House until her death in 1925.
King George V
Sandringham House was the scene for many important events during the reign of King George V. During World War I, Sandringham was the victim of an enemy attack. Several bombs land on the estate. One of the craters was filled with water and later turned into a duck pond by King George VI. The first Christmas broadcast to the British Empire was given by King George V live on Christimas Day 1932 from Sandringham. In 1957 Queen Elizabeth II made her first televised broadcast on Christmas Day from Sandringham’s library.
King George V died at Sandringham House on January 20, 1936. Sandringham passed to his eldest son, King Edward VIII. Edward spent less than one day at Sandringham. After his abdication in 1936, he retained the rights to both Sandringham and Balmoral Castle, but transferred them to his brother, King George VI.
King George VI
King George VI, who was born at York Cottage, spend his first Christmas as king at Sandringham House. He also died there on February 6, 1952. His coffin lay in the St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham before being taken for London for his funeral.
Modern Times
Queen Elizabeth II first visited Sandringham House when she was eight months old. The occasion was a Christmas visit to see her grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary. During World War II, she and her sister, Princess Margaret stayed at Appleton House on the estate on several occasions.
Today the Royal Family spends Christmas at Sandringham House. The estate is a commercial estate that is managed on Queen Elizabeth’s behalf. It is open to the public.
Sources:
The Official Website of the British Monarchy. “Royal Residences: Sandringham House” (accessed October 19, 2009)
“Sandringham Estate” (accessed October 19, 2009)
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