The old mansion, which was small and inconvenient, was pulled down, and the present house was erected on a more suitable site, from the designs of Mr. Humbert. The work was not completed till 1871. The new mansion is a very pretty gabled building, and though commodious enough, it will not compare in point of size with many of the “stately homes of England.” On the inner wall of the vestibule, above the hall door, is set a tablet bearing, in Old English characters, the inscription: “This house was built by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and Alexandra, his wife, in the year of Our Lord, 1870.”
The Royal host and hostess, as well as their family and their guests, are wont to spend much of their time in the great hall, a really beautiful apartment, with a lofty ceiling of open oak work. Many family souvenirs are gathered here, including a fine painting of Queen Alexandra’s birthplace, portraits of the King and Queen of Denmark, two miniature cannon, which were given by Napoleon III. to the King and to his sister, the Empress Frederick, and a number of family portraits and photographs. Facing the main entrance is the head of a wild bull, belonging to the famous Chillingham herd, which was shot by the King in 1872. Underneath are Sir Walter Scott’s lines:—
Fierce on the hunter’s quiver’d band
He rolls his eyes of swarthy glow,
Spurns with black hoof and horn the sand,
And tosses high his mane of snow.
Though Sandringham can boast of no wild cattle, yet the King has been for many years a breeder of shorthorns and Southdown sheep on a large scale, and it is difficult to estimate the benefits which his example in this respect has conferred on the great agricultural industry. His Majesty has always been a very keen competitor at the various national and local shows, and he took his duties as President of the Royal Agricultural Society very seriously. All the Norfolk shows, from the flower show to the poultry show, are patronised by their Majesties; and in this, as in so many other matters, the Squire of Sandringham sets an excellent example to those round him. The Allotments Act was practically anticipated at Sandringham, and the tenants of His Majesty know that he interprets very generously any Act telling in their favour.
The Royal Agricultural Society held its annual meeting in Dublin in 1871, when the King, who was accompanied by the Duke of Connaught and Princess Louise (Duchess of Argyll), and the Duke of Argyll, paid one of his visits to Ireland. At the annual banquet of the Society His Majesty spoke in terms which demonstrate in the clearest manner his interest in agriculture and his sense of its importance in promoting the prosperity of the nation at large. He said, in the course of an unusually long speech:—
“The theme before me—prosperity to Ireland—is one that might be enlarged upon greatly. No one wishes more sincerely than I do prosperity to this country. No one in the large assemblage which crowds this hall, and no one outside this hall, could more largely wish for the prosperity of Ireland which is so dear to them.… I may say that what will do more than anything else towards making a country prosperous is the extension of its agriculture. It was with great pleasure that I accepted the position of President of the Royal Agricultural Society, and it afforded me great pleasure to be present at the Show to-day. My brother has already alluded in his speech to the fine animals we saw, and I may add that I feel sure that in no other part of the United Kingdom could a more creditable Show be held than that which was opened near Dublin this morning. During the last four years there has been a great improvement in every respect in the shows of the Royal Agricultural Societies.…
