Royally Grounded: Tales of Sandringham, Balmoral, and Budget-Friendly Majesty

He leaned back, gesturing expansively. "Most of the famous ones---Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Clarence House, Kensington Palace, and even Highgrove House---are owned by the Crown. They're used for official duties, and the monarch can't sell them. It's a peculiar setup, really. They're not private property like Sandringham or Balmoral."

By this point, our plates were empty, and the afternoon light was growing golden. We decided it was time to settle on accommodation. Predictably, the luxurious royal cottages were out of reach, so we opted for a more modest yet charming choice: The Sandringham Estate Club Campsite.

"Perfect," my friend declared. "It's right in the heart of the estate, just a 15-minute walk to Sandringham House. And it'll give us access to Hunstanton, too."

The Norfolk Coast National Landscape stretches from Sandringham Estate in the West to Winterton-On-Sea in the East. | Sandringham Estate.

I nodded, imagining the candy-striped cliffs and sandy beaches he described. The campsite promised lush walking trails, an adventure playground, and even a visitors' centre with a tea room and a Royal Garden flower stall. It seemed like the perfect compromise for our royal adventure.

As we left the restaurant, the winter air crisp and bracing, I couldn't help but feel a little regal myself, wandering the grounds of one of Britain's most iconic estates, albeit on a far humbler budget than its owners.