Visit Reports
Visit to Sandringham June 2010
It was a perfect summer day for our visit to Sandringham, where we had 5 hours to tour the House, gardens, church and museum in our own time.
When Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, was 21, he was given Sandringham by Queen Victoria and moved in with his wife, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, three weeks after their marriage in 1863. By 1870, Sandringham Hall had been almost entirely rebuilt to accommodate their growing family. It has become a favourite private residence of the Royal Family ever since and it made an exceptionally interesting visit for our group.
On entering the first room in the House, the Saloon, you see an ancient jockeys’ weighing chair, where visitors were weighed on arrival and departure to record their weight increase from the rich food and fine wines provided for guests in Victorian England. You soon realise that this is not a stately home but a welcoming family house, full of photographs, racing memorabilia, jigsaw puzzles as well as beautiful works of art.
The room guides were friendly and informative, equally happy to talk about the history, the contents or the Family.
The Small Dining Room, where the Queen recorded her 1992 Christmas broadcast, is magnificent with its ornate Dresden mirror and matching chandelier and other treasures, yet it is no larger than a drawing room in one of our finer Harpenden homes!
The Drawing Room, still decorated in Queen Alexandra’s choice of white and cream, is stunning with its profusely carved panels and trompe l’oeil painted ceiling with pheasants looking down from a flower covered parapet and summer sky. Collections of Meissen, Worcester, Faberge, jade, amber and Queen Mary’s miniature silver tea services are on display in cabinets.
The mahogany panelling in the Dining Room was painted Braemar green in 1938 to enhance the Spanish tapestries which depict the works of Goya and other artists. The table, beautifully set for a small formal dinner, can be extended with 9 leaves to accommodate 22 for family gatherings, so filling the room from end to end.
The Ballroom exhibition changes annually; this year’s theme being Gifts for Special Occasions given by the Royal Family to each other over the decades, ranging from the priceless to children’s home made offerings.
After the tour we still found time to visit the tea rooms and museum in the converted coach houses and stables, which houses, amongst other things,
royal vehicles from Edward V11th’s Daimler Phaeton of 1900 to the half scale Aston Martin presented to Princes William & Harry in 1988.
It was in the gardens, though, where we really appreciated the peace and tranquillity of Sandringham, with no aircraft noise and rarely anyone else in sight.
We strolled along the stream walk; around the lakes where we found Queen Alexandra’s tiny lakeside summer house, named ‘The Nest’; across the sweeping lawns;
through the superb specimen trees and shrubs.
Finally, there was time to visit the church with its beautiful painted roof and interesting memorials before an ice cream at the visitors’ centre and some
shopping in the excellent gift shop. I think everyone felt they had a really enjoyable day out.
Carole Sugden