Both monarchists and republicans will find fuel for their respective positions at the Queen's lavish country estate. Built in homage to much older stately homes, this elegant Victorian manor is set in 25 hectares of beautifully landscaped gardens, and the sumptuous reception rooms – still regularly used by the royals and open on selected summer dates – contain a wealth of objets d'art and glinting gifts from European and Russian royal families.
Sandringham is 6 miles northeast of King's Lynn, off the A149. Bus 35 runs from King's Lynn (£2.80, 20 minutes, every two hours).
Sandringham was built in 1870 by the then Prince and Princess of Wales (who later became King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) and the house's features and furnishings remain much as they were in Edwardian times. It's surreal to imagine generations of royals treating this grand house as just a family home. The stables today house a flag-waving museum filled with royal memorabilia. The superb vintage-car collection includes the very first royal motor from 1900.
Check to see if guided tours of the gardens have resumed. It's worth taking a peek in the shop, which stocks organic goodies produced on the vast estate.
