King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother loved their time at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, and their daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, also shared their real affection for this beautiful estate in the heart of the Norfolk countryside. The late Queen's love of horses was well known and the estate is home to the Royal Stables, where some of her favourite horses have been bred.
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and their family would spend every Christmas at the palace providing the much-loved photos of all The Royal Family attending the church service on Christmas morning.
Sandringham Estate was built in 1870 by the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) and has remained a private home to four generations of British monarchs. The main ground floor rooms, regularly used by the Royal Family, are open to the public with the decor and contents remaining very much as they were in Edwardian times. The House is surrounded by 60 acres of glorious, mature gardens, which all sit at the heart of the 20,000-acre Sandringham Estate and Country Park. Explore sweeping glades and lawns, go on woodland and lake walks and discover the rockery.
Journey through the history and workings of the Sandringham Estate and view the extraordinary Royal Motor Car Collection, which ranges from the first Royal motor car to a model James Bond Aston Martin. The beautiful medieval church of St Mary Magdalene is open during the visitor season. The highly decorated interior contains a silver altar and pulpit, a 16th-century processional cross and memorials to the Royal Family.
Sandringham, the Norfolk country home of the late Queen Elizabeth II, will be available for private tours of the House before or after the normal opening hours of 11 am to 5 pm.
On your arrival, you will be escorted by a senior member of the Estate staff from the garden's entrance and into the glorious grounds that surround Sandringham House. You will have the splendour of the House to yourselves with plenty of time to view each room, ask questions and soak in all the knowledge bestowed upon them during a guide's accompaniment through Sandringham.
The tour normally lasts around an hour, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful collections of porcelain, jade, rose quartz, silver Russian gilt and bronzes, admire the family portraits and photographs and study the Victorian and Edwardian decor and furnishings in a home that was created to be the epitome of style in 1870. A gentle stroll back around the charming ornamental lakes below the House will take you back to the Sandringham Visitor Centre where you may book a reception or dinner.
