Sandringham House

[CyrilVladisla]

When furnishing the library at Sandringham, Edward VII summoned a man from Hatchard's bookstore. Edward instructed him to fill the shelves with whatever volumes might be considered for a country house.


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[CyrilVladisla]

At Sandringham, William Gladstone's secretary noticed that Alexandra, the Princess of Wales liked to feed "almost all the horses severally with her own hands".
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[royal-blue]

Does anyone know how long ago the Kents and Gloucesters stopped attending at Christmas?

 

[CyrilVladisla]

This is where I believe there are many Faberge items on display!

The drawing room is beautifully furnished.

Who is the portrait of?

 

[CyrilVladisla]

At the time the Prince of Wales, Albert Edward, bought the property of Sandringham in 1862, there was 7,000 acres.
The additional 13,000 acres were purchased by succeeding monarchs.
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[tommy100]

Does anyone know how long ago the Kents and Gloucesters stopped attending at Christmas?

I thought they stopped attending Christmas with the Queen after Christmas was moved from Windsor to Sandringham after the castle fire in the early 90s

 

[royal-blue]

As the size of the family who attend at Christmas has soared in recent years, and will no doubt increase further as the Queen's grandchildren continue to marry and have more children, is it possible that the Queen would cease to continue to invite her niece and nephew and their respective families? Is Charles likely to invite them too in the future?

Also, the Cambridges now have a home on the Sandringham estate, but did Charles ever have the use of a house there on a permanent basis too? I realise he doesn't nowadays, but in the past?

 

[muriel]

As the size of the family who attend at Christmas has soared in recent years, and will no doubt increase further as the Queen's grandchildren continue to marry and have more children, is it possible that the Queen would cease to continue to invite her niece and nephew and their respective families? Is Charles likely to invite them too in the future?

> I think Margaret's children will be invited whilst the Queen is alive.
> After that, I think they may come every alternate year.
> Some of the Queen's own grand children (Zara, Peter) come every alternate year at the moment. I think that may continue
> Depending on when Charles becomes King, I think the usual Christmas do might have a bit of a shake-up. I think Camilla's family will appear, by rotation (alternate years?).

Also, the Cambridges now have a home on the Sandringham estate, but did Charles ever have the use of a house there on a permanent basis too? I realise he doesn't nowadays, but in the past?

I do not believe Charles has ever had a home on the Sandringham estate. I understand he loves Highgrove and Scotland, and tended to focus his "away time" there.

 

[Iluvbertie]

> I think Margaret's children will be invited whilst the Queen is alive.
> After that, I think they may come every alternate year.

I suspect that like the Queen's cousins they simply won't be invited - particularly as they have their own families.

> Some of the Queen's own grand children (Zara, Peter) come every alternate year at the moment. I think that may continue

I believe that the only time that any of the Philip's have missed Christmas was the year that Autumn was expecting Savannah a few days after Christmas in which case none of Anne, Peter or Zara attend but they have attended every other year.

> Depending on when Charles becomes King, I think the usual Christmas do might have a bit of a shake-up. I think Camilla's family will appear, by rotation (alternate years?).

I doubt that Camilla's family will ever be acknowledged as attending - they may spend some time in one of the houses such as Wood House but not attend church etc with the royals.

I do not believe Charles has ever had a home on the Sandringham estate. I understand he loves Highgrove and Scotland, and tended to focus his "away time" there.

That is the case

Personally I am not sure that Charles will even continue to invite his own siblings. He doesn't seem to have that great a relationship with them and if he does go the Camilla's family route and William and Kate have the Middleton's and Harry has his wife and her family then it is possible that the siblings and their children will simply go elsewhere.

Anne has already done so once so it is possible that Beatrice and Eugenie might finally decide they would like to have Christmas with their mother and also with their partner's and their families rather than the current situation where most of them are there for less than 24 hours anyway.

 

[AdmirerUS]

Sandringham may not be the place for Christmas after the Queen is gone. George V started Christmas there - but the practice has not been continuous since then. Charles and Camilla spend the majority of the holiday elsewhere. I just don't see Charles staying at Sandringham till February when he is king.

This probably belongs on the "when Charles is Monarch" thread. I think we have brought the topic up there, in the past.

 

[muriel]

Sandringham may not be the place for Christmas after the Queen is gone. George V started Christmas there - but the practice has not been continuous since then. Charles and Camilla spend the majority of the holiday elsewhere. I just don't see Charles staying at Sandringham till February when he is king.

This probably belongs on the "when Charles is Monarch" thread. I think we have brought the topic up there, in the past.

Charles will certainly not be at Sandringham till February. This is very much her mothers tradition. C&C tend to spend new years eve up a Birkhall - lets see how that tradition evolves.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

In After Diana, Christopher Anderson wrote:

Kate Middleton had been invited to stay at Sandringham --- a singular honor that had accorded none of Prince William's other young women.
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King George VI liked Sandringham.
He wrote to his mother, Queen Mary: 'I have always been so happy here, and I love the place.'
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As Prince of Wales, Edward VIII described Christmas at Sandringham as 'Dickens in a Cartier setting'.


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[CyrilVladisla]

In Royal Britain, it was written:

The idea of a country home for Albert Edward had begun with his father, Prince Albert, who thought that time spent in outdoor pursuits, such as shooting, would be a healthy change for the Prince of Wales, and that country life would help him keep away from the temptations of city delights.
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[Curryong]

Houseparties at Sandringham in the 1870's from the book 'Sandringham Days'

'The houseparties generally lasted three or four days; there was much hospitality to be repaid, and often the carriages rolled away down the drive to Wolferton Station, returning later to collect another houseful of visitors.

You had to be on your toes, for 'Sandringham time' was half an hour ahead of the rest of the country: you had to leave the Hall at 2:30pm in order to catch the 2:15pm at Wolferton.

The Prince had copied the idea from Lord Leicester at Holkham Hall, who was among the first of the daylight-saving exponents. Queen Victoria was indignant when she first encountered the phenomenon during her visit in 1871. "It's a wicked lie", she declared roundly, and as a special concession, the clocks were put back to Greenwich Mean Time for her second visit.'

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Curryong, It was interesting to learn that Prince Albert Edward copied the idea of having the clocks put half an hour ahead of the rest of England from Lord Leicester.
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King George V made his first Christmas broadcast live by radio on Christmas Day 1932 at Sandringham.

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I don't think Edward VIII thought much of 'Sandringham time'. The first order of his reign was to put the clocks to correct time!

After Edward VIII was no longer the sovereign, were the clocks returned to Sandringham time?
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[Curryong]

Yes, it is. The Prince of Wales really interested himself in a lot of rural matters over the years. Although I live in Australia I'm Norfolk born and bred and have been to Sandringham and Holkham Hall several times (as a tourist!) Norfolk is very much an agricultural county, flat and with a huge overreaching sky very much part of the landscape.

I don't think Edward VIII thought much of 'Sandringham time'. The first order of his reign was to put the clocks to correct time!

 

[Ish]

According to the Wikipedia stub "Sandringham time" the clocks weren't turned back after the reign of Edward VIII.

 

[Osipi]

King George VI liked Sandringham.
He wrote to his mother, Queen Mary: 'I have always been so happy here, and I love the place.'
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This really doesn't surprise me much. It makes me think of all the fond memories with her parents the present Queen must have of Sandringham. It makes sense to me now that she usually doesn't return to London from her Christmas break until after the anniversary of her father's death.

 

[Curryong]

Queen Alexandra lived on at Sandringham House until her death in November 1925. It was only after she died that King George and Queen Mary moved from York House into her old home.

Anne Wigram, the wife of Major Wigram, was shown over 'the Big House' in 1917 by the Queen. 'She is very fascinating; I think -and I really enjoyed seeing all the things--some of which were quite beautiful--She kept saying, 'The King used to sit there' or 'The King used to do this' and one pictured all the revels that used to take place.

Finally she took me into her own private sitting room --a truly marvellous room so crowded that one cannot turn round--a bewildering mass of photographs--and every sort of treasure. I don't think I am exaggerating when I tell you that there were over 200 things on her writing table; the only space left being taken up by her blotter...'

'Sandringham Days' John Matson.

It's sad to think of Alexandra growing older and deafer by the year, surrounded by her memories and a small devoted Household, themselves elderly, in that large house. It must have been stifling for Alexandra's spinster daughter, Victoria.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Prince Charles steps into his parent's shoes by taking control of Sandringham | Daily Mail Online

Prince Charles 'handed responsibility for Sandringham' - Telegraph

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

The estate will come in experienced and skilled hands. Prince Charles will turn out to be a great steward.

 

[Osipi]

The estate will come in experienced and skilled hands. Prince Charles will turn out to be a great steward.

I think so too. After looking at what he's done for Highgrove, I think he will handle the Sandringham estate with the same passion and foresight he's put into Highgrove.

 

[MichelleQ2]

I too think Charles will do a wonderful job; probably one of the reasons he is still at Sandringham this late in the season. I also think it is a sign the DoE is letting more responsibilities go. This has to be a huge time commitment.

 

[amaryllus]

For a person like Phillip admitting he can't do it all all the time anymore must be very hard.

 

[Dman]

I think it's William that should take over the role of Ranger of Windsor Great Park, from the Duke of Edinburgh. William took a course of Land Management at Cambridge University. How about actually putting those lessons to good use.

 

[amaryllus]

Actual running an estate grounds is far different than a course in school. Perhaps he could work up to it by assisting Charles for awhile, getting his hands dirty and so on.

 

[HRHHermione]

I think it's William that should take over the role of Ranger of Windsor Great Park, from the Duke of Edinburgh. William took a course of Land Management at Cambridge University. How about actually putting those lessons to good use.

Charles has far more experience in this field. William needs to learn from him.


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[Dman]

Charles has far more experience in this field. William needs to learn from him.


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I think William could take on the role. Also, Charles is there if he needs advice. William already attends the Duchy of Cornwall meetings with his father.

 

[HRHHermione]

I think William could take on the role. Also, Charles is there if he needs advice. William already attends the Duchy of Cornwall meetings with his father.

But it makes no sense for William to take on the role, when Charles is both more experienced and the heir.


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[Duc_et_Pair]

I think so too. After looking at what he's done for Highgrove, I think he will handle the Sandringham estate with the same passion and foresight he's put into Highgrove.

Not to forget the Duchy of Cornwall, which he transferred from a sleepy but large estate into a money-machine. The Prince of Wales maintains his lifestyle thanks to the very good revenues which flow to his pockets, being the Duke of Cornwall.



I am sure the present Duke of Cornwall (Charles) will be more than willing to learn the future Duke of Cornwall (William) all the finesses of a good and modern land management but of course the love and interest for it must come from both sides. So far the future Duke seems to have focussed on other things than managing estates.