History and Current Site
The site has been occupied since the Elizabethan era, and, in 1771, architect Cornish Henley cleared the site to build Sandringham Hall. The hall was modified during the 19th century by Charles Spencer Cowper, a stepson of Lord Palmerston, who added an elaborate porch and conservatory, designed by architect Samuel Sanders Teulon.
In 1862, the hall was purchased by Queen Victoria at the request of the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII) as a home for himself and his new bride, Alexandra. However, in 1865, two years after moving in, the prince found the hall's size insufficient for his needs, and he commissioned A. J. Humbert to raze the hall and create a larger building.
The resulting red-brick house was completed in late 1870 in a mix of styles. This section incorporated the galleried entrance hall which is used by the royal family for entertaining and family occasions. A new wing was later added to one end of the house in a more traditional style, incorporating a ball room. It was ahead of its time in other ways, with gas lighting, flushing water closets, and an early form of shower. One part of the house was destroyed in a fire during the preparations for Prince Albert Edward's 50th birthday in 1891, and later rebuilt.
Sandringham House has been the private home of four generations of the British Royal Family. The main features of the new building were bay windows, which helped lighten the interior. Despite the size of Sandringham and the spaciousness of the main rooms, the living quarters were quite cramped.
Edward and Alexandra's sons, Prince Albert Victor and Prince George, for example, had very small bedrooms. The spacious grounds, however, provided room for Queen Alexandra's menagerie of horses, dogs, cats, and other animals. The atmosphere was far different from at home, especially when their father was about. The kennels were a particular delight to the children. In addition to stables for Royal horses in 1886 a racing pigeon loft was constructed for birds given to the Duke of York by King Leopold of Belgium and one or more lofts for Royal pigeons have been maintained ever since. Since the death of Edward VII, Sandringham has been a popular holiday retreat for successive members of the Royal Family.
Since King George VI died in 1952 at Sandringham, Queen Elizabeth II's custom has been to spend the anniversary of her father's death and her own Accession privately with her family at the House, and use it as her official base until February. It is an excellent location for shooting and is used for royal shooting parties. Such was Edward VII's fondness for hunting on the estate, he ordered all the clocks to be set half an hour ahead of GMT to allow more time for the sport. This tradition of Sandringham Time was kept on the estate from 1901 until 1936 when the new King Edward VIII showed he was "a new broom" by sweeping the custom away.
Along with Balmoral Castle, Sandringham House is the private property of the British royal family and not part of the Crown Estate. Their succession became an issue in 1936, when Edward VIII abdicated as king. Being legacies Edward had inherited from his father, George V, the estates did not automatically pass to his younger brother George VI
Queen Alexandra, her sons Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, and George V, and grandson George VI all died at Sandringham.
Victoria, Princess Royal, daughter of Queen Victoria and mother of Kaiser Wilhelm II, had a country house built at Friedrichshof, near Kronberg, in the style of Sandringham.
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