The Gist

• Sandringham is a 20,000-acre estate located in Norfolk, England.

• Princess Diana was born there and baptized there, as was Princess Charlotte.

• The royal family has been spending the Christmas holidays at Sandringham since the late 1980s.

Though the British monarchy’s real estate portfolio contains a number of impressive properties, only one has the honor of hosting the royal family’s annual Christmas gathering: Sandringham House. Nestled on 20,000 acres in Norfolk, England, the country estate has been beloved by several generations of royals dating back to the turn of the 20th century.

Sandringham became the Firm’s unofficial holiday retreat in the late 1980s thanks to Queen Elizabeth II. And, unlike some other royal real estate, it is privately owned by the family rather than the Crown Estate.

Apart from its outsized role during holiday season, Sandringham House has also hosted a number of other important events, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s “Sandringham Summit” in 2020, which finalized their exit from the royal family. Several key figures have also been baptized there, including Princess Diana, Princess Eugenie, and Princess Charlotte.

Most recently, of course, Sandringham was named the future home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, whom King Charles is currently in the process of evicting from Royal Lodge. The former prince will reportedly move to a “shoebox-sized” cottage on the property sometime in 2026.

Ahead, here’s everything you should know about Sandringham House, from its mid-nineteenth century acquisition to its modern-day role as a festive country retreat for the British royal family.

It was purchased by the royal family in 1862.

In 1862, roughly four decades before he ascended the throne, King Edward VII purchased Sandringham for his future wife Alexandra of Denmark. The couple married one year later and immediately began rebuilding the estate, which at the time spanned just under 8,000 acres. After Edward’s death in 1910, Sandringham was passed down to his heir, George V, who then passed it on to his heir, Edward VIII.

Edward VIII famously abdicated the throne in 1936 in order to marry divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. His brother, King George VI, subsequently purchased the property. “I have always been happy here and I love the place,” the late monarch wrote, per Sandringham’s official website. His daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, inherited the property upon his death in 1952. King Charles III likewise inherited Sandringham 70 years later following her death in 2022.

It’s the site of the royal family’s annual Christmas gathering.

According to BBC, King George V delivered the monarchy’s first-ever Christmas broadcast from Sandringham in 1932. The estate hosted several holiday gatherings following that historic event, but it wasn’t until 1988 that the December pilgrimage became an annual tradition thanks to Queen Elizabeth II, who moved the festivities north in part due to renovations at Windsor Castle. Since then, Sandringham has been the site of many of the royal family’s most beloved holiday traditions, including their Christmas Eve gift exchange and their Christmas Day walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church.

“Christmas at Sandringham has been absolutely central to the family for years, and that legacy looks certain to continue with Charles,” royal expert Duncan Larcombe told the Mirror.

Princess Diana and Princess Charlotte were both christened there.

Long before she became Diana, Princess of Wales, Diana Spencer was born at Park House on the Sandringham Estate in 1961. She was baptized a few months later at St. Mary Magdalene Church, the very same venue that the royal family now visits for Christmas Day services during their annual holiday get-together up north.

In 2015, Prince William and Kate Middleton opted to have Princess Charlotte christened at Sandringham in homage to Princess Diana. The family of four (Prince Louis was, of course, not yet born) celebrated with tea and wedding cake alongside the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, then-Prince Charles, and Kate’s sister Pippa.

Sandringham played a key role in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s exit from the royal family.

In early 2020, Queen Elizabeth II summoned her son, then-Prince Charles, and her grandsons, Prince William and Prince Harry, to Sandringham for a 90-minute meeting to discuss the bombshell news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would step down as senior members of the royal family. “Today my family had very constructive discussions on the future of my grandson and his family,” she wrote in rare statement following the meeting, which later became known as the “Sandringham Summit.”

“My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan’s desire to create a new life as a young family,” she continued. “Although we would have preferred them to remain full-time working Members of the Royal Family, we respect and understand their wish to live a more independent life as a family while remaining a valued part of my family.”

Ex-Prince Andrew is reportedly moving there in 2026.

Following his long-awaited eviction from Royal Lodge, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is reportedly relocating to a “shoebox-sized” cottage on the Sandringham Estate at the expense of his brother, King Charles. The former duke was stripped of his remaining titles and privileges in November 2025 following new revelations about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. What’s more, Andrew’s new home is currently undergoing extensive renovations ahead of his arrival, thus delaying his move until after the new year.

Read the original article on InStyle