Historical Spotlight: St. Mary Magdalene’s Church

The final church to be featured in our historic churches spotlight is St. Mary Magdalene’s Church, which is the parish church of St. Mary Magdalene in Sandringham. This is the church the royal family frequents when they stay at Sandringham Estate.

The church building dates back to the 16th century. It has been restored two different times, once by S.S. Teulon in 1855 and again by Arthur Blomfield in 1890. The building uses carrstone, a building stone made from sand that was heavily used in many parishes in the area. The chancel of the church, the area reserved for the clergy and choir, was presented to Queen Alexandra in the early 1900s as a tribute to King Edward VII, her late husband. Other historical features of the church include a Greek 9th century baptismal font and stained glass that dates back to the original building of the church in the 16th century.

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The royal family has been attending services at St. Mary Magdalene’s since the late 1800s. The church has become an integral part of royal history. Many members and relations of the royal family are buried here, including Prince John, who died in 1919. King George VI also rested at St. Mary Magdalene’s for two days following his death in 1956 before he was laid to rest at St. George’s Chapel. Princess Diana was baptized here, as well.

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Most recently, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the Christmas service with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Harry at St. Mary Magdalene’s this past December. Prince George did not attend, as it is customary for royal children to begin attending these services at age 4 or 5. This means that in a few years, we will see both Prince George and Princess Charlotte dressed in their Sunday best attending the service with mom and dad.

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