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Sandringham display marks late Queen's centenary

Aimee DexterNorfolk
News imageWPA Pool/Getty Images The late Queen. She is smiling and is wearing a duck-egg blue dress, a pearl necklace and pearl earrings.WPA Pool/Getty Images
Elizabeth II would have been 100 on 21 April

Sandringham is marking the centenary of Elizabeth II's birth with a free exhibition.

An outdoor display explores the late Queen's "lifelong connection" to the estate, the Royal Family's privately-owned country retreat.

She died in 2022 aged 96. Her 100th birthday would have been on Tuesday.

"This special exhibition traces her extraordinary path, exploring both the global milestones of her reign and the personal mark she left on her cherished Norfolk home," said a spokesperson for the Sandringham Estate.

It invites people to explore the gardens of the estate's arboretum, where signs on the paths give information about key moments in the late monarch's life, including her marriage in 1947.

News imageShaun Whitmore/BBC A wooden sign is on the right and it has a black and white picture and text. There is a path on the left which leads to a woodland area. Shaun Whitmore/BBC
This information board tells visitors about the late monarch's role during World War Two

She often stayed at Sandringham at Christmas. Before the pandemic, she was there for 32 Christmases in a row.

The tradition led to people from across the world gathering at the St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham's parish church, to see the Royal Family on Christmas Day.

In 1957, she made history by delivering her first televised Christmas broadcast.

It was transmitted live from the Long Library at Sandringham House.

News imageBEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images The late Queen is on the right. She is wearing a red dress, a red coat and a red hat. She is holding a railing on the right and speaking to a reverend, who is on the left. He is leaning towards her. BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images
The late Queen at church on Christmas Day in 2019

The Sandringham spokesperson added: "Celebrating the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II's birth, this exhibition explores her lifelong connection to the Sandringham Estate.

"From her earliest childhood years to her historic 70-year reign, Sandringham remained a constant thread in her life."

The exhibition could be open until the end of the year, they added.

News imageShaun Whitmore/BBC An information board is on the left of the picture. It is beside a path. There are trees and shrubs in the background. The board is green and has a wooden frame. It reads: "A celebration of Queen Elizabeth II at Sandringham." Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Signs on paths in the estate's arboretum celebrate the late Queen's connection to Sandringham

Following Elizabeth II's death, thousands of floral tributes were placed at the gates of Sandringham House.

A new charity is being set up to honour her life. The government has given a one-off payment of £40m to establish the Queen Elizabeth Trust.

King Charles III will be its patron. The charity will focus on restoring shared spaces in communities, reflecting his mother's commitment to public service.

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