Rub shoulders with the royals at world's biggest village fete

By Martin Bensley Jun 29, 2010, 13:25 GMT

Sandringham, England - With typical British understatement the yellow road signs leading to what has been nicknamed the biggest village fete in the world read simply 'Flower Show.'

Naturally, flower arrangements are a key feature of this event staged in the grounds of Sandringham, the private retreat of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, yet there is another good reason for coming here: A chance to see members of the UK royal family at close quarters.

More than 20,000 people flock annually to this unique celebration of gardening and outdoor living in rural eastern England. The event boasts show gardens on a par with those at Chelsea in London, another major horticultural gathering which enjoys the royal seal of approval.

This year's show at Sandringham in Norfolk takes place on July 26 and most visitors will be craning their necks to catch a glimpse of illustrious royal visitors. These usually include heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, who is a patron of the event, and his second wife Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall.

The couple seldom miss an opportunity to stroll around the white marquees and produce stalls, uttering cheery words of encouragement among the cakes and jars of homemade preserve.

The royals usually tour the grounds in a horse-drawn open carriage before embarking on a walkabout. Thousands line the white ropes which cut a swath across the gardens. There are many uniformed policemen on hand but the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

'I do hope you are enjoying your holiday,' says Camilla to a tousle-haired 14-year-old boy before turning her attention to an elderly lady. The local resident wistfully recalls having seen the late Queen Mother during a past visit. The flower show was a favourite with the Queen Mum.

Suddenly another youngster catches the eye of the Duchess. It is three-month-old Lola Waters asleep in her grandmother's arms. 'She asked the baby's name and commented on how popular it was becoming,' said Lola's delighted mother Theresa.

Amid the gentility, the Sandringham show caters for other tastes too. Daring displays of motorcycle aerobatics compete for attention with snorting traction engines, agricultural machinery and a static dragster.

Work on organizing the event goes on all year round and before the guests have even departed assistant treasurer and administrator Debbie Cleland is already planning the following year's bumper fete.

'Once this show is over we'll be looking at what worked and what didn't,' Cleland told the Eastern Daily Press newspaper.

She is a volunteer who works full time for the National Health Service. 'People help each other out here and we all muck in. That's one of the amazing things about this show,' said Cleland.

English summer weather is probably the most unreliable in the world and just because it is July does not mean the sun will shine. When the black clouds start gathering it is time to take refuge is one of the cavernous white tents where long queues often form.

The floral displays inside range from the sublime to the bizarre with rare orchids across the gangway from a diorama with an armoured car submerged in greenery.

The impressive stately home of Sandringham is set in 24 hectares of Edwardian formal gardens and surrounded by prime farmland. It has served four generations of British sovereigns from King Edward VII to the present Queen, Elizabeth II.

The monarch regularly spends Christmas at Sandringham and during the recent harsh winter she journeyed to her estate on a regular commuter train, much to the astonishment of fellow travellers.

Once described as 'the most comfortable house in England,' parts of Sandringham House are open to the public from April 7 to October 28.

The chambers are out of bounds to visitors when the flower show is held in late July since members of the royal family are in residence.

Thankfully, the nearby visitor centre and shop is an experience in itself with more regal gifts on sale than anywhere else in the country. These include soft toy versions of the Queen's beloved corgi dog, oaten biscuits from Prince Charles' organic food firm Duchy Originals, and linen tea towels printed with the royal lineage. Internet: www.sandringhamestate.co.uk.