Sandringham: A Royal Residence with Nigel Havers

The opening episode transports us back to 1862 when the building first came into royal hands. Nigel reveals that it was Queen Victoria who snapped up the original Sandringham Hall as a 21st birthday present for her party-loving son Prince Bertie. She hoped the quiet country air would tame Bertie's wild side – but the prince had other ideas…

And we discover how Sandringham was far more than just the big house with acres of land and a whole host of other homes some of which can even be rented on Airbnb today!

Raksha Dave gets glammed up to find out what went on at one of Bertie's infamous Sandringham parties – a three-day affair complete with 100 servants for just 16 revellers. At this time the house lacked any mod cons – having just basic oil lamps and candles for lighting, no flushing toilets, and hot water available only if a servant fetched it for you from the kitchen.

Unsurprisingly, Bertie and his wife Princess Alexandra had grand plans to modernise their home. Nigel reveals how, in 1867, they tore almost all of the original building to the ground, reconstructing it from scratch in the iconic red-brick style we see today. CGI shows the vast extent of the rebuild, after which Sandringham House boasted a dedicated confectionery room and even its very own bowling alley!

But disaster was soon to strike the newly-renovated royal residence – JJ Chalmers gets to grips with a Victorian fire engine as he finds out what happened when Sandringham went up in flames in 1891.

Nigel also uncovers the house's dirty secret that almost killed the future king, and JJ hits the road in a 124-year-old car just like the one Bertie used to race around the Sandringham Estate. But trouble was on the horizon. Soon two World Wars and a right royal family feud would throw the house's very existence into jeopardy…

The second episode kicks off in 1910 when Sandringham is rocked by the death of its first royal owner Edward VII, as Nigel Havers reveals that something very unusual now happened to Sandringham: instead of passing automatically to the new king, George V, the privately-owned house was inherited by Edward VII's wife, Alexandra.

This surprising situation resulted in one of the most bizarre chapters in the history of the estate, as the King and his family of seven were relegated to a small cottage in the grounds while the ageing Alexandra rattled around the huge 364-room house with just her unmarried daughter for company. But these two ladies didn't exactly live alone… they were looked after by an astonishing army of 50 servants. JJ Chalmers discovers what a typical day at Sandringham looked like for this horde of helpers, meanwhile Raksha discovers what daily life looked like at the relatively cosy York Cottage where the King started each day by stepping outside to check the weather – with a parrot on his arm.

Life at Sandringham was soon to be shaken up once again by the advent of the World War I. JJ discovers how the house was almost destroyed. Meanwhile Nigel reveals the story of Sandringham's secret house where the royals go to hide.

JJ discovers how some new royal residents changed Sandringham House once again, finally dragging it into the 20th Century with regal renovations. And Nigel reveals how the abdication crisis threw the very future of the house into question.

It wasn't until late 1936 that Sandringham was saved by George VI, who made it a happy country home for his family, including his daughter - the young Princess Elizabeth II. But soon, the tragic early death of her father would open a new 70-year-long chapter in the incredible royal history of Sandringham.

The final episode picks up the story in 1952 – at which point Sandringham House had been owned by the royal family for 90 years. During that time it had expanded into a truly enormous home with 364 rooms, including a bachelor's wing and stunning ballroom. But tragedy was about to strike… Nigel reveals that, on February 6th, 56-year-old King George VI died suddenly in his sleep at Sandringham House.

No one was more shocked by this news than his 25-year-old daughter Elizabeth. But the new Queen had little time to grieve; soon, she was back at Sandringham preparing for the biggest day of her life – her coronation.

Raksha gets a glimpse into what life was like in Sandringham house at that time, thanks to the private diary of the man who designed the Queen's stunning coronation dress – meanwhile JJ Chalmers discovers what was involved in Elizabeth's first Sandringham Christmas as Queen, which kicked off some very surprising new traditions that continue to this day.

Later, JJ gets to see what Sandringham looks like from above whilst learning about the devastating flood that threatened the Estate – whilst Nigel discovers what was involved in frugal Prince Philip's ingenious money-saving schemes at Sandringham, including a very surprising decision: opening the doors of the private country home to the paying public. Nigel reveals how, in the 1970s, eager visitors flocked into Sandringham for the bargain price of 30p per person (£1.60 in today's money).

But by 2021, Philip's health deteriorated and he sadly passed away on the 9th April. Just over a year later Queen Elizabeth also died, and Sandringham was inherited by their son: King Charles. Now, Charles is the 5th generation of royal to own Sandringham, and he's got big plans to put his own distinctive mark on the place with some surprisingly eco-friendly alterations. After him, Prince William will inherit the house that was first owned by his great-great-great grandfather some 160 years ago. Ultimately, we can be sure that the remarkable story of royal Sandringham is far from over.