Sandringham House (Norfolk) is the private country estate of Her Majesty the Queen. Sandringham has been owned by four generations of monarchs, starting with Edward VII who bought it in 1860 when prince of Wales. At first he made only minor alterations, but in 1870 he and Princess Alexandra started to rebuild the house to the designs of the architect Albert Jenkins Humbert (1822–77), a royal favourite whose work includes the mausoleum at Frogmore and Whippingham church, near Osborne on the Isle of Wight. The style adopted at Sandringham was Elizabethan, the materials a harsh red brick and stone dressings. After Humbert's death, Sir Robert William Edis (1839–1927) acted as the architect for a ballroom in 1883 and further additions in 1891 following a fire. The elaborate main entrance-gates in wrought and cast iron are by Thomas Jeckyll and were shown at the International Exhibition in London of 1862. Sandringham House contains royal portraits and collections of porcelain, jade, quartz, and enamelled Russian silver, whilst royal memorabilia are displayed in the museum in the grounds. King George VI born at York Cottage, Sandringham, and died in 1952 at the house.

Peter Willis

Sandringham House a country residence of the British royal family, north-east of King's Lynn in Norfolk. The estate was acquired in 1861 by Edward VII, then Prince of Wales.