Sandringham: A Royal Residence

It was Queen Victoria who first purchased the original Sandringham Hall as a 21st birthday present for her party-loving son Bertie. But ,as actor Nigel Havers discovers, her hope that the quiet country air would tame his wild side didn’t have the desired results. Bertie’s three-day parties in the Norfolk countryside were legendary and helped establish his scandalous reputation.

The dawn of the new century saw a right royal scandal brewing at Sandringham. As Nigel Havers discovers, when Edward VII died in 1910, the house was inherited by his wife rather than the new King, who was unhappily relegated to a small cottage in the grounds. The First World War and the scandalous abdication of Edward VIII caused more upheaval, as the house got to grips with the 20th century.

Queen Elizabeth II loved Sandringham and prepared for her coronation there in 1953. The private diary of the man who designed the monarch's coronation dress reveals a surprising side to the story. The royals flock to Sandringham every Christmas. Nigel Havers hears about Elizabeth’s first Christmas at Sandringham as queen, which initiated some very unusual traditions that continue to this day.