Sunday, December 13, 2015

Sandringham: Queen's Norfolk Home

The Sandringham Estate sits on nearly 60 acres and has been the private home of 4 generations of the British royal family.  It first opened to the public in 1977; the Vistor Centre has a restaurant, gift shop and plant/gardening center.


Before beginning our visit, we stopped at the War Memorial.



St. Mary Magdalene's Church, a parish church that dates back to the 16th century.


Princess Charlotte of Cambridge was christened here on July 5, 2015; her late grandmother Princess Diana was also baptized here.


Memorials to many members and relations of the royal family are in the church and churchyard.



There are 2 nature trails (1 mile and 2 miles) in the woodland setting.




The house, with exceptions, is open from April to October as the British royal family still live in it when they are in Norfolk.

In fact, the Queen hosts Christmas at Sandringham.  On December 25th, the royal family attends an 11 a.m. service at St. Mary Magdalene's Church, followed by a lunch - finished in time so everyone, including the Queen, can watch her annual Christmas message on TV at 3 p.m.


After touring the house and adjacent gardens, Doug and I walked to the Museum and Stables, with displays of royal life and estate history.







(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

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