Sandringham gardens: The estate has been much transformed since this photograph was taken.
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It’s a day of celebration for King Charles III as he marks his 77th birthday and reveals the new Sandringham gardens at the 20,000-acre royal estate in north Norfolk. The horticultural restoration programme is detailed in the latest issue of Country Life magazine, which features a brand new portrait of the King in the Sandringham gardens on the cover, taken by photographer Millie Pilkington (a favourite of the Prince and Princess of Wales). Another photograph of King Charles standing in the Sandringham gardens has been issued by Buckingham Palace today, November 14, to mark the monarch’s personal birthday (his official birthday is in June).
The Sandringham estate, where Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is said to be relocating after he leaves Royal Lodge, has undergone a significant transformation. Charles first took over its management from his father, Prince Philip, in 2017 – when he was still the Prince of Wales – and immediately began implementing plans to convert it into a fully organic operation. This included the introduction of a flock of 3,000 sheep, the use of natural fertiliser and the planting of trees.
More recently, the King and his team have turned their attention to the formal areas of the garden. Though the layout has remained pretty much as it was back in 1863 when King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra purchased the estate, each monarch has made changes that reflect their personal tastes and interests. Two ornamental lakes were landscaped for the first royal owner King Edward VII in the 1880s; Queen Victoria planted an oak tree in 1889; King George VI commissioned Geoffrey Jellicoe to create the North End Garden in 1947, which is planted in a charming cottage-garden style and can still be seen today in full bloom during the late summer months; and Queen Elizabeth II had the idea for a shady woodland walk in the late 1960s.
The past few years have seen King Charles reimagine different areas of the Sandringham gardens. In 2023, he added a Topiary Garden as part of a redevelopment of the West Lawn. Inspired by the Cosmati Pavement at Westminster Abbey, it is based on the principles of universal symbolism and geometric beauty and was created as a place of calm contemplation. In line with King Charles’ sustainable focus, it was also specifically designed to increase biodiversity and features new species of plants and flowers that will better withstand our changing climate in the UK.
Sandringham is where the King and the Royal Family spends Christmas.
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