Unlike The Monarch’s official residences such as Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle, Sandringham House, located in Norfolk, is a private residence and is typically home to the Royals at Christmas time, where the whole family convenes for a festive celebration. This post takes a look inside Sandringham House, past and present:
As a private residence, Sandringham House is largely closed off to the public and usually only seen by royals, their household staff or the occasional diplomat, however, to celebrate The Queen’s platinum jubilee select reception rooms have been opened up to the public, allowing us a rare look inside Sandringham House.
The Great Saloon
Above shows The Great Saloon; the first room one comes to when entering the house via the main door. The large mantelpiece with inset family portrait has been removed and replaced with a single tapestry, and the multiple stag heads that dress each wall in the early 20th century have been removed since, replaced with a single row of heraldic plaques above the fireplace and two further tapestries on the right wall. Even the two large doors flanking either side of the fireplace have been reduced to secret doors, the outline of which can be seen in the image below.
The clutter and maximalism of the early 20th century has been simplified today, yet a cozy, comfy atmosphere remains with fabric sofas and armchairs, a large rug and an array of familial photographs coupled with the warming hues of several elegant lamps. The antique tapestries are held by the family in a private capacity and are therefore not listed within the Royal Collection Trust.
Looking backwards away from the fireplace, towards the entrance hall, there has been some decorative changes since the 1900s, with family portraits swapped for more up-to-date paintings of family, and the same switch of antlers for coats of arms. The busy wallpaper that covered the whole space has also been removed, providing a clearer backdrop.
According to reports it was the Great Saloon that the late Queen favoured for making jigsaws at Christmas, during the family’s stay at the estate. The room has also occasionally been seen on screen during the documentaries about the royals.
The Small Drawing Room
Opposite The Great Saloon, across the corridor, sits the Small Drawing Room. The room functions as an intimate reception room, and has hardly changed at all since the 1900s. The same sconces and ceiling light, the same white panelling, even some of the same vases and wall art has remained, but a different rug and a new, more delicate wallpaper print has provided the room with a small injection of colour.
This room may be familiar to readers who follow the royal family. Viewers were invited inside the elegant room during the 1992 Christmas message, delivered by the late Queen, while Windsor Castle underwent extensive renovations and restoration after the devastating fire in November that year.
The White Drawing Room
Next to the Small Drawing Room, reached via a connecting door or via the central corridor, is the White Drawing Room – a magnificent reception room festooned with ornate mouldings and plasterwork. The White Drawing Room is the largest drawing room and has kept its beautiful beading and detailing, as well as the central Queen Alexandra portrait standing over the far fireplace.
The Prince and Princess of Wales chose the room as the stunning backdrop to the official family photos commemorating the christening of Princess Charlotte. The images were taken from the adjoining Music Room.
The Dining Room
The dining room inside Sandringham House is probably the room that has undergone the most transformation (after the bowling alley that was turned into a library). In the 1900s you can see [above] that the room’s original dark wood panelling was still in use but since then the room has undergone several guises. Though the inset murals have remained, the colour of the walls has been painted white, remnants of which can still be seen on the ceiling, and then a cream mint green.
The story behind the green hue involves Queen Elizabeth II visiting a house in Braemar where she was quite taken with the shade of green painted on the walls, she then requested the exact same shade for Sandringham’s dining room walls. The tone is now know as “Braemar Green” and can be acquired from various paint suppliers.
Until very recently only the beautiful gardens and parklands of Sandringham could be visited by the public, while the interiors of the house were closed off, but for selected celebrations visitors can now book a guided tour around the ground floor of the house. Tours take in the Great Saloon, The Small Drawing Room, The White Drawing Room, The Dining Room and The Ballroom.
Tourists can also view some of the home’s wonderful treasures including ‘the beautiful collections of porcelain, jade, rose quartz, silver Russian gilt and bronzes, family portraits and photographs and Victorian and Edwardian decor that was the epitome of style in 1870’. Tours are only available until 13th October, when preparations begin for the annual migration of British royals to the estate.
View more Royal Residences by browsing the ‘Royalty‘ tag, where you’ll find a look inside Buckingham Palace, The Queen’s Private Apartments at Windsor Castle, Clarence House, Balmoral Castle and a look at the numerous residences around Windsor Great Park, such as Adelaide Cottage, Fort Belvedere, Frogmore Cottage and The Royal Lodge.
Feature image photo by Paul Bryan cc-by-sa 2.0, 1904 images by Charles Latham, Public Domain