St. Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham
| St. Mary Magdalene Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
  St. Mary Magdalene Church Location in Norfolk | |
| 52°49′42″N 0°30′32″E / 52.828204°N 0.508924°E | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Sandringham, Norfolk |
St Mary Magdalene Church is a church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, located just to the northwest of Sandringham Estate. Members of the British Royal Family attend services when in residence at Sandringham, which normally includes Christmas.[1] The current vicar is the Reverend Canon Jonathon Riviere.
History
The Grade II* listed[2] church is dedicated to Mary Magdalene[3] and is described as a small building in the Perpendicular style, "nobly lying on raised ground".[4][5] The current building dates to the 16th century and was restored by S. S. Teulon in 1855 and Arthur Blomfield in 1890. It is considered to be a noteworthy example of a carrstone building.[6][7] It is located in the park and is approached from Sandringham House through the garden by "an avenue of fine old Scotch firs".[5]
The silver altar and reredos were presented to Queen Alexandra by the American department store owner, Rodman Wanamaker, as a tribute to Edward VII. He also presented her with the silver pulpit and a silver 17th-century Spanish processional cross. Of note also is a Florentine marble font and a Greek font dating to the 9th-century.[6][8]
Burials
There are memorials to many members and relations of the Royal Family in the church and churchyard. Prince John (12 July 1905 – 18 January 1919) is buried here. King George VI lay in state in the church after his death in February 1952.[9]
Christenings
The church has been the site of many royal christenings. These christenings include:[10][11]
- 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[12]
- Princess Eugenie of York was baptised 23 December 1990
- Princess Charlotte of Cambridge was baptised 5 July 2015[13]
References
- ↑ "Duke of Edinburgh misses royals' Christmas Day service". BBC. 25 December 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ↑ Historic England. "Church of St Mary Magdelene <sic> (Grade II*) (1077615)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ JSTOR (Organization) (1905). The Musical times. Novello. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- 1 2 Jones, C. Rachel (1888). Sandringham, past and present. Jarrold & Sons. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- 1 2 "Church of St. Mary Magdalene". Sandringham Estate.co.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ↑ Kelly, E.R. (1865). The Post Office Directory of Norfolk & Suffolk. p. 365. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ↑ James, N P (1 November 2011). Norfolk: A County Guide. Cv Publications. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-908419-01-9. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ↑ Time Inc (18 February 1952). LIFE. Time Inc. p. 38. ISSN 0024-3019. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
- ↑ "Royal Baptism: Prince George of Cambridge". 27 September 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ↑ "Princess Charlotte to be christened at Sandringham". 5 June 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ↑ Morton, p. 100
- ↑ "First family outing: William, Kate and a rather curious George are all smiles as they attend Princess Charlotte's christening". 5 July 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2015.