Sandringham

This weekend we went to visit Sandringham. The royal family's house in Norfolk. It is where they spend Christmas each year, and where the royal pets are housed most of the rest of the year. Currently the estate is home to many of the royal corgis who aren't the ones who live with the queen all the time. Unfortunately there were no corgis there this weekend, as a canine illness is spreading throughout Norfolk this fall. There were however plenty of pictures of them! We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the house, but below are my pictures from the rest of the day.

The Garden

There were four small areas of the garden that
were blocked off by the above ... high
security systems.

One of the security bamboos had been knocked
down and somebody snuck in ... :- \ 

A ram and lion planter. 

We are pretty sure this was supposed to be
a sculpture of 'father time'. Even more sure
that the scythe was probably not part of the
original design.

There were lions and someone said "Hey Allie, get a picture
riding the lion," Note to self stone covered in moss and
dew is not easy to ascend.

The Museum

Hello horsey

The Queen's racing silks

This was a gift to the Queen and Prince Phillip, I think for a wedding
anniversary. This made me think, if some one gives me a candle
I can burn it or if it smells like feet, at the very least re-gift it.
What are you spozed to do with a load of presents like this?

The corgis weren't always good at posing for photos ... I think Dottie
might be more photogenic than some of her royal cousins. 

This was once a center piece on their table. Three of these for Thanksgiving?

Once upon a time there was a woodworking
school in Sandringham for local boys. 

Look they made a bed too!

But can I touch the wood chips?

The golf cart the Queen uses to get around at
horse races. But she has never almost tipped
 one over, or managed to get 6 people on one :)

A staff photo of the estate in 1984, way to photobomb corgis!

And now we come to the dead animal room.

I say adorable if I thought there was any chance
he had died of natural causes... 

Lions, and tigers, and I didn't stay long enough to check
for a bear but I'll bet one was there. 

More gifts from foreign visitors. 

:)

The Stables

This was outside the stables, but the stones were all so
old we couldn't tell if this was a horse, dog or general
pet cemetery. 

Inside the stables courtyard.

And finally a bonus picture of Allie in a moose hat: