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Sandringham House by John Fielding – 

Ten Astonishing Facts about Sandringham House

Sandringham House is a royal residence country house located in Sandringham, Norfolk, England. The beautiful house belongs to Elizabeth II.

The house stands on an 8,100 ha estate in Norfolk Coastal area and has landscaped gardens, a park, and woodlands which all are on the National Register of Historic Parks and gardens.

The house itself is Grade II listed. Elizabeth II’s father George VI and her grandfather George V all died in the house. The house has been held by Elizabeth II since she inherited it from her father in 1952. 

1. The possession of the Sandringham house has been In the hands of the Royal family since 1862

In 1862, the extravagant William Cowper sold the Sandringham to Albert Edward Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. This is where the house fell into the hands of the Royal family.

George V inherited the house from his father Edward in 1910 on his death. George V died on 20th January 1936 and his son Edward VIII took over the house. George VI bought the house when his brother was involved in an incident that involved an American citizen, Wallis Simpson leading to his abdication.

Elizabeth II inherited the house in 1952 after her father George VI died. She’s held the house custody until then. She spend two months in the house to celebrate her father’s death anniversary and her own early accession in early 1957.

3. Love made Edward VIII lose custody of the Sandringham House

After Edward III declared that he loved the already twice-divorced Wallis Simpson, the then-wife to Ernest Aldrich Simpson. A constitutional crisis in the British Empire arose against the marriage of the American socialite.

The marriage was opposed by the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth. As the nominal head of the church of England, he was not allowed to marry a divorced woman in the church.

He stood firm to his decision on marrying Wallis Simpson, and so his title was denounced and so he was given a new title [Duke of Windsor]. It’s because of this abdication that his brother George VI took over the leadership and also sold the house to George  VI.

3. Sandringham House was used as a broadcast house

Elizabeth II by Joel Rouse/ Ministry of Defence –

The first Christmas broadcast took place in the year 1932, 22 years after George V had taken over the house. In the broadcast, he described the house as his dear old Sandringham, the place he loved more than anywhere else in the world.

In 1957, Elizabeth II broadcast her first televised Christmas message from Sandringham house, when she was celebrating her father’s death anniversary and her early accession in 1957.

4. Portraits in the Sandringham House

The Saloon, basically the largest room in the house, contains the portraits of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert by their accommodated musician.

The drawing room which has a painted roof contains the portraits of Queen Alexandrian and her three daughters; Princess Louise, Princess Victoria, and Princess Maud of Wales.

5. Trespassing was restricted to the Sandringham House in 2007

Under Section 128 of the Serious Organised crimes and Police Act of 2005, Sandringham House and its ground were a no go zone to the public. It made it a criminal offense on trespassing on the grounds of the house.

This is because, in 2003, a self-styled terrorist comedian gatecrashed Prince William’s 21st  birthday party in Winsor Castle dressed as Osama bin Laden.

6. The Sandringham House has a Museum

The Museum contains a collection of Royal motor vehicles like the 1900 Daimler, manufactured by Daimler Motor Company limited and owned by Edward VII.

There is also a 1939 Merryweather and Sons fire engine, by the Sandringham fire brigade. The garage was designed by A. J. Humbert during the time of building the house.

7. Sandringham House has a National Historic garden

Sandringham House by RXUYDC –

In 1947, Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe designed the garden. The Lawns, Woodland garden, a vast rock garden, two lakes, and a hedge enclosed garden.

The Edwardian era of planting style gives the gardens a beautiful and splendid color, with lakes, beds of lavender, roses, sheets of spring-flowering bulbs, and azaleas. 

8. Sandringham is recorded in the Doomsday book

Doomsday Book is a manuscript record of the  Great Survey of many parts of England and Wales completed in 1086 by the order of King  William I.

The king ordered a survey to be done by his agents in every shire in England, and list his holdings then calculate dues owed to him.

Sandringham s recorded as sant-Dersingham and the land is awarded to the Norman Knight called Robert Fitz-Corbun after the conquest.

9. Sandringham House has four major rooms

The Saloon is the first room which is also the biggest of the four. It is used as the main reception room though visitors to the room don’t have access to the place where they can hang their hats and coats.

The Ballroom added by Eddis in1884 is the main family room where entertainment can be conducted apart from the Saloon, The Dining room has walls painted with tapestries and paneled in oak, and lastly is the Drawing room which is, another room that the Queen stated in her journal that after dinner the visitors went directly to the drawing-room it is very long and handsome with a painted ceiling and two fireplaces.

1o. The Sandringham House’s design was criticized

Lack of uniformity in the design of the house arose due to the mixture of two different architects’ work; Humbert the original designer of the house and Eddie the designer of the extensions of the house.

James Pope-Hennessy described the house as a golf house or station hotel at Strathpeffer in his biography, Queen Mary, Simon Jenkins referred to the house as unattractive, with a grim, and institutional appearance.

Many people like Adria Tinniswood, Clive Aslet, and Kenneth Rose also gave reasons to support that the house was not in harmony and the architects who were given the job were not first-rate architects. 

Sandringham House even though is not open throughout the year especially when the royal family is in the residence, is a beautiful home despite the critics that the house’s architectural design is not in harmony with the beautiful gardens releasing a breathtaking scent from all the species of flowers planted in the gardens.