The twinkling lights on the tree and the shiny baubles hanging just so – there's something ever so magical about the décor at Christmas time and it looks like King Charles agrees as his team has decked out the holiday home on the Sandringham Estate.
The Folly is now ready for the festive season, and all has been revealed on Instagram. A fresh post included a series of images around the property, including the two traditional trees with lights and decorations and a traditional wreath hanging on the door.
Fans adored the online update and, as well as expressing their love by double tapping the image, some left comments below. "How lovely," and "So beautiful," were among the compliments and one person noted it looked: "Cosy." We totally agree – we can imagine being snuggled by the fire, admiring the trimmings all day long.
Patrons over the holiday period will be able to soak in the special feeling of the season from the comfort of this three-bedroom property. The turret is a highlight of the building, offering splendid views across the parkland. The ideal place to sit in the warmth when the weather outside is frightful.
The Sandringham website explains the history of the property. "Nestled deep within the leafy estate woodland, The Folly is an elegantly weathered structure built in the 1800s. Throughout its history, it has served various purposes, from a hunting lodge to a tranquil sanctuary where ladies enjoyed their afternoon tea. Now, The Folly has been lovingly restored and is available as a private retreat through our partner, Oliver’s Travel.
One of the guests who stayed in September left a five-star review on the travel booking page and wrote: "Exceptionally beautiful house and grounds. Isolated and private. During the day could see deer and at night we watched a heaven of stars."
The interiors are relaxed but have a royal touch. There's also the option to make your stay even more luxurious (for a fee), as you can choose to have breakfast delivered to the door each morning, or even have a private catering service come and cook it inside.
Sandringham's light trail
The estate also has a light trail happening at the moment, bringing members of the public to the grounds to enjoy a magical walk after dark. The website explains that the mile-long trail includes interactive light plays set to music, and food and drink stops where visitors can pick up mulled wine and toasted marshmallows. Tickets cost £24.25 for adults and £16.20 for children.
When news that this event was back this year broke, fans shared their love for it on Instagram, penning: "Highlight of our festive season," and: "So, so magical". A third was keen to book tickets: "This looks so good! I need to go this year!"
We've even seen Prince William and Princess Kate take their children in the past! I've seen lots of hype about light trails over the years, especially working at HELLO! at Christmas time, so I thought this year I would give one a go. I have a young son who has just turned two and he absolutely loved a local light trail we took him to - it's fun for all the family. He called it a "light party" and adored running around singing Twinkle, Twinkle.
Royal Christmas decorations
I love seeing what the royals do each year when it comes to decorating for Christmas. Windsor Castle is a royal residence to watch in particular as the decs are always so impressive. There's always a very impressive 20-foot tree inside the castle's largest room, St George's Hall and this year it has a green and gold colour combination along with 3,000 twinkling lights!
HELLO!'s Digital Content Director, Andrea Caamano, was there at the unveiling and she said: "The decorations on the 20-metre tree in St George’s Hall are brand new. Some are as large as footballs, and honestly, you just can’t appreciate their scale in photos - if you can, I highly recommend seeing them in person."