Inside £55m Sandringham House where King Charles will spend Christmas – including dramatic changes from Queen’s reign
IT was the Queen's traditional Christmas residence for decades, and next month King Charles will return to Sandringham too.
The monarch will reportedly spend the first festive period since Her Majesty's death at the £55million home, alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort, and wider members of the Royal Family including Prince Andrew and Fergie.
Located in Norfolk, the estate has historically been the Firm's preferred residence for Christmas and New Year, although Queen Elizabeth spent her last two years at Windsor due to the pandemic.
The Grade II-listed house was bought by Queen Victoria in 1863 and is owned by the Royal Family, unlike residences like Buckingham Palace.
Its magnificent 20,000 acre plot boasts a sprawling country park, which the public can visit throughout the year.
But in the months leading up to the Queen’s death, Charles took over its management and oversaw a number of intriguing changes.
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Lavish interior
Upon arrival through the main door, the first room visitors enter is known as The Great Saloon.
The room is regal yet cosy, with a beautiful fireplace and a massive tapestry.
This room was one of the late Queen’s favourites - she is said to have relaxed with a jigsaw in there during the Christmas holidays.
Next door is the Small Drawing Room, which ha been used to receive important guests and dignitaries.
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As impressive as it is, many say it pales in comparison to the huge White Drawing Room, adorned with elaborate plastering and beading.
It has a stunning portrait of Queen Alexandra, which stands tall over the fireplace and a side room equipped with a grand piano.
This room served as the setting for official family photographs following Princess Charlotte’s christening.
The remarkable dining room at Sandringham House is where the Royal Family gather to eat their Christmas dinner.
The walls in this room are painted green - it’s been reported that the Queen once visited a house in Braemer with the same colour and requested the same.
That shade has now been known by paint manufacturers as Braemer Green and can be requested by customers who want the same.
Sandringham’s corridors are breathtaking - the hallways are decked with a patterned green and red carpet with portraits of various royal family members on the walls.
There are also elegant wooden bookcases which have black statuettes placed on top.
Plush grounds
Each monarch who has lived in Sandringham has developed the grounds to their taste and infused a bit of their personality.
On its website, it says: “A densely planted shrubbery with a shade woodland walk was instigated by Queen Elizabeth II in the late 1960s.”
Her Majesty brought a collection of Rhododendron, Camellia, and Magnolia trees from Windsor, another of her favourite residences.
They were planted in Sandringham in the hope that they would create “more interest, shelter, and privacy in the garden".
A veteran oak that stands beside the upper lane is said to be over 800 years old and is the oldest tree found on the grounds.
The site also comes with a beautiful lake where guests can take in the fresh countryside air.
Charles’s changes
Before the Queen’s death in September this year, her son Charles had taken over the management of Sandringham.
Since 2017, he has implemented several changes to the estate and reportedly hopes to make it fully organic in a few years.
The new King is known for his message of sustainability. He is said to have installed bird boxes at the estate and introduced around 500 rare-breed cattle, with their manure spread out to act as organic fertilisers.
Queen Elizabeth II was known to share her son’s passion for the environment and it was claimed she even banned all plastic straws from her homes.
Neighbours
Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton have a 10-bedroom property on the Sandringham Estate known as Anmer Hall.
It was gifted to them by the Queen after their wedding in 2011 and was refurbished for £1.5million.
New additions to the residence include a conservatory, a rerouted driveway and a new interior helmed by designer Ben Pentreath.
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The photograph for the new Prince and Princess of Wales’ 2020 Christmas card was taken in the garden of Anmer Hall.
The couple and their kids were also seen playing in the home’s huge garden in a video to celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary.