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Privacy NoticeThe Royal Family have had a number of unique traditions to follow throughout the generations – whether that is how they are banned from saying certain words to allegedly once weighing themselves at Christmas time to ensure they had been ‘well fed’. One of the most surprising little-known facts, however, is that the King’s beloved home at Sandringham House once operated under its own time zone. Started by King Charles’ great-great-grandfather, King Edward VII, this unique tradition continued for multiple years following his demise. Although the King doesn’t maintain this custom nowadays, its truly fascinating to delve into the roots of this tale that unfolded in one of the most iconic royal residences.
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(Image: Getty Images)
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The Sandringham Estate is among the most renowned dwellings of Her Majesty available today. Nestled in the Norfolk area, glorified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it’s typically where she spends her holiday season. The first royals to call the 20,000 acre estate home were The Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra). While the King visits the house mainly at Christmas and for short breaks away throughout the year now, it used to be lived in all year round by her predecessors, mainly as it was an ideal location for hunting and shooting.
King Edward VII introduced the rule at Sandringham
(Image: Getty)
And that suitability is exactly why an incredibly strange rule – known as ‘Sandringham Time’ was brought in by King Edward VII while he was still the Prince of Wales. To maximise the winter daylight hours for shooting, he commanded all clocks on the estate to be set half an hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. This quirky time adjustment was also later adopted at Windsor Castle and at the Balmoral Estate in Scotland. While there were whispers that Edward implemented this odd rule because his wife had a talent for being late to events, experts agree that the primary reason was to optimise the use of the shooting facilities. The tradition of Sandringham Time persisted after Edward VII’s death and throughout King George V’s reign. However, the trend caused confusion among the King’s children and was eventually abolished by Edward VIII during his brief reign. Neither George VI, Queen Elizabeth II or King Charles chose to reinstate it.
Sandringham House was the inspiration for ‘Sandringham Time’
(Image: Getty Images)
The late Queen also never chose to reintroduce Sandringham Time
(Image: Getty)
Among the many residences on the Sandringham Estate that hold sentimental value for the Royal Family, one humble home holds a special place in The Queen’s heart. Wood Farm, tucked away in a quiet corner of the Norfolk estate, is where Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh chose to spend much of his time following his retirement in 2017. The residence also holds historical significance due to its connection with King George V and Queen Mary’s youngest son, Prince John, who was an epilepsy sufferer. Prince John resided there, away from his family, under the care of his nanny Charlotte ‘Lala’ Bill, until his death at the home in 1919. Interestingly, Wood Farm has also served as the accommodation for divorced spouses of royals during the holiday season, allowing them to be close to their children while not officially participating in The Queen’s festive celebrations at Sandringham House.Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnRoyal FamilyKing Charles IIIQueen Elizabeth IIKing George VIKing George VSandringhamQueen Camilla
