St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham

52°49′42″N 0°30′32″E / 52.828204°N 0.508924°E / 52.828204; 0.508924LocationSandringham, Norfolk, PE35 6EHCountryEnglandDenominationChurch of EnglandChurchmanshipTraditional AnglicanWebsiteParish websiteHistoryStatusActiveDedicationSt Mary MagdaleneArchitectureFunctional statusParish churchHeritage designationGrade II* listedAdministrationDioceseDiocese of NorwichArchdeaconryArchdeaconry of LynnDeaneryHeacham and RisingParishSandringham with West Newton and AppletonClergyRectorRevd Canon Dr Paul Williams

St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham is a Church of England parish church, in Norfolk, England. It is close to Sandringham House and members of the British royal family regularly attend services when in residence at Sandringham, notably at Christmas.^[1] The church is dedicated to Mary Magdalene, a disciple of Jesus.

Since 2022, the Reverend Canon Paul Williams serves as Rector of Sandringham.^[2][3]

The Grade II* listed^[4] The church is dedicated to Mary Magdalene^[5] and is described as a small building in the perpendicular style, "nobly lying on raised ground".^[6][7] The present building dates from the 16th century but was restored by Samuel Sanders Teulon in 1855 and Sir Arthur Blomfield in 1890. It is considered to be a noteworthy example of a carrstone building.^[8][9] The church is situated in the park and is approached from Sandringham House through the garden by "an avenue of fine old Scotch firs".^[7]

Much of the decoration and the church's stained glass in the east window was designed by Charles Eamer Kempe whom King Edward VII had also commissioned in 1903 to create a stained glass window at Buckingham Palace for his eldest son, Prince Albert, Duke of Clarence.^[10][11] The church's silver altar and reredos, made by the silversmiths Barkentin & Krall, were presented to Queen Alexandra by the American department store owner Rodman Wanamaker as a tribute to Edward VII. He also presented the Queen with the silver pulpit and a silver 17th-century Spanish processional cross. Also of note are the Florentine marble font and Greek font dating to the 9th century.^[8][12]

Many memorials to royal family members and relations can be seen at Sandringham Church and in the churchyard Prince John (1905–1919) is buried.

After the death of George V in January 1936, the King's coffin lay in state overnight in the church with an honour guard of estate workers. On the following morning, 23 January, the coffin was taken in a 2½ mile (4 kilometre) procession from the church to Wolferton railway station, with Edward VIII and his brothers walking behind and the rest of the royal family in carriages.^[13] After George VI's death in February 1952, the body of the King was placed in the church for two days prior to lying in state at Westminster Hall.^[14]

Many royal baptisms have taken place at Sandringham Church, including:^[15]

• King George VI was baptised on 10 February 1896
• Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood, was baptised on 7 June 1897
• King Olav V of Norway was baptised on 11 August 1903
• Prince John was baptised on 3 August 1905
• Diana, Princess of Wales, was baptised on 30 August 1961^[16]
• Princess Eugenie was baptised on 23 December 1990
• Princess Charlotte of Wales was baptised on 5 July 2015^[17]

1. ^ "Duke of Edinburgh misses royals' Christmas Day service". BBC. 25 December 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
2. ^ www.sja.org.uk
3. ^ Bishop, Chris (10 May 2022). "New rector joins Norfolk's Royal group of churches". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
4. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Mary Magdelene (1077615)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
5. ^ Blomefield, Francis; Parkin, Charles (1775). An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: History of Norwich. Printed for W. Miller. p. 684. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
6. ^ JSTOR (Organization) (1905). The Musical times. Novello. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
7. ^ ^{a b} Jones, C. Rachel (1888). Sandringham, past and present. Jarrold & Sons. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
8. ^ ^{a b} "Church of St. Mary Magdalene". Sandringham Estate.co.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
9. ^ Kelly, E.R. (1865). The Post Office Directory of Norfolk & Suffolk. p. 365. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
10. ^ Margaret Stavridi; Kempe Society (1988), Master of glass: Charles Eamer Kempe 1837-1907 and the work of his firm in stained glass and church decoration, John Taylor Book Ventures for the Kempe Society, ISBN 978-1-871224-00-9, retrieved 7 March 2019, The chancel of St Mary Magdelene, Sandringham, decoration and east window by C E Kempe and Co Ltd
11. ^ "Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence (1864-1892) 1903-05 - by C. E Kempe (d. 1907)". Royal Collection Trust. Retrieved 7 March 2019. Commissioned by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, c.1903. It was originally from the Ministers' Staircase at Buckingham Palace and thought to have been moved after air raids in the 1940s.
12. ^ James, N P (1 November 2011). Norfolk: A County Guide. Cv Publications. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-908419-01-9. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
13. ^ Makin, William J. (1936). The Life of King George the Fifth. London: George Newnes Limited. p. 311.
14. ^ Time Inc (18 February 1952). LIFE. Time Inc. p. 38. ISSN 0024-3019. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
15. ^ DOI Desativado, DOI Desativado (17 July 2019). "DOI Desativado". dx.doi.org. doi:10.29327/7.1840. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
16. ^ Morton, p. 100
17. ^ "Princess Charlotte is christened at a Sandringham church". BBC News. 5 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.