Like many families around the world, the British royals have a packed house during the Christmas season. Prince William recently shared that 45 people were coming to the Sandringham estate for the holidays this year, and even more relatives were added to the guest list after his admission. Space is at such a premium, in fact, that one year, The Queen's own daughter had to seek alternative sleeping arrangements.
Sandringham House, located in the Norfolk countryside, was described by Majesty magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward as “small by royal standards" in a recent interview with OK! magazine. While the estate boasts numerous cottages on its approximately 20,000 acres of property, the main house has 29 bedrooms—which sounds like a lot until you have close to 50 people coming for Christmas.
“Guests often have to stay in vacated servants’ quarters or cottages in the grounds. But if The King beckons, people go, so it’s up to him," Seward said. It's so tight at Sandringham that no-nonsense Princess Anne once took matters into her own hands.
"One year, there were so many people, Princess Anne pitched up with a caravan that she used at horse shows and she stayed in that," the royal editor revealed. Classic Anne behavior at its best.
Some royals, like Prince William and Princess Kate, are lucky enough to have their own place to stay; the Prince and Princess of Wales were gifted Anmer Hall, a gorgeous country house on the Sandringham estate, by the late Queen Elizabeth.
Once everyone is settled in there's a full regime of merriment including presents to open on Christmas Eve and a rather posh buffet dinner. It's an experience Princess Diana once called "terrifying and so disappointing." However, it seems like the schedule has loosened up at least a little bit under King Charles's rule.
“The schedule still exists and it’s really quite exhausting,” author Robert Hardman told OK! “One minute you’re doing one thing, then you have to change for drinks, then get changed again for dinner. There’s a lot going on and formality and routine is part of that. But it’s not the military-style operation that Prince Philip oversaw."
The royal biographer continued, "Back then, if you weren’t where you were supposed to be at the correct time, there was trouble! The King is less rigid so there’s more fluidity with timings."
With another full house this year (minus Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson), it sounds like Anne might have to keep that caravan at the ready.
