The Queen is opening her Norfolk home for an exciting reason this weekend

Weekend plans? Sorted.

the Queen Sandringham Estate

Weekend plans? Sorted.

Ever fancied a snoop around Sandringham, the Queen's (albeit reportedly haunted) Norfolk residence? Well, you're in luck, because this weekend the monarch is opening the grounds of Sandringham to the public for a series of special events.

The Norfolk estate, which also houses Kate Middleton and Prince William's country residence Anmer Hall, is where the monarch typically spends her winters, hosting her grandchildren and great-children for Christmas. (Though the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to a big Royal Family Christmas last year.)

The Queen traditionally stays at Sandringham until 6 February – the anniversary of her father King George VI's death – before moving onto her other primary residencies for the Spring and Summer. But that doesn't mean Sandringham will stand empty while the monarch's away.

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Yes, the Queen may be currently busy pranking tourists and walking her corgis during a well-earned break at Balmoral, but Sandringham are offering a packed schedule of exciting events in celebration of the coming August Bank Holiday weekend.

According to Sandringham's official Twitter account, Jools Holland with special guests will appear on Saturday 28 August, while The English Symphony Orchestra will be performing The Proms on Sunday 29 August.

Concert-goers are invited to make the most of HRH's incredible Royal Parkland scenery by bringing their own picnics, though catering and a fully licensed bar will also be available within the concert area.

The Queen is a known lover of live music – so much so, in fact, that she begins everyday with a live bag pipe serenade outside her bedroom window – so the special events doubtlessly had the full royal stamp of approval.

The monarch has attended hundreds of concerts throughout her 69-year reign, from her epic Golden Jubilee concert within the gardens of Buckingham Palace in 2002 (Elton John and Shirley Bassey headlined, naturally), to her frequent trips to the Proms over the years.

But perhaps her best gig yet is still to come, as a concert is scheduled to be staged in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in celebration of Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

We can hardly wait!

Kate McCusker

Kate McCusker is a freelance writer at Marie Claire UK, having joined the team in 2019. She studied fashion journalism at Central Saint Martins, and her byline has also appeared in Dezeen, British Vogue, The Times and woman&home. In no particular order, her big loves are: design, good fiction, bad reality shows and the risible interiors of celebrity houses.