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This 92-year-old woman knitted a replica of Sandringham – and the queen is said to be royally impressed with the magical masterpiece.
Margaret Seaman, of Great Yarmouth in England, spent 15 hours a day for two years to create a knitted version of the monarch's home in Norfolk along with other buildings in the country compound.
The woolly creation is more than 5m long and incorporates many fine details of the home where the queen traditionally spends Christmas, along with chimneys, windows and tall trees. St Mary Magdalene Church, where members of the British family gather for their Christmas mass service, is there too.
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A miniature knitted version of the queen and her late husband, Prince Philip, waving from a balcony can also be spotted in the remarkable creation of needles.
“After I lost my husband, I joined a knitting group and it all snowballed from there,” Margaret, who used £700 (R14 000) worth of wool, told the BBC.
“And then I just thought, if I can think of something to do that we can show to people, and raise money for a charity, it would be something worthwhile doing. That's how it all started.”
The widow wants her replica to raise funds for three local hospitals, including the breast cancer unit at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals, a maternity suite at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and a community project at the James Paget University Hospital.
The project is on display in Sandringham's ballroom until October, where people can donate to the charities. Margaret’s work has already raised £50 000 (about R998 000) for the various organisations.
“Although we were in lockdown I was never bored and never wished I could go out or anything,” Margaret says. “I was quite happy at home knitting Sandringham – I thoroughly enjoyed it.
“I have been living with my daughter since I lost my husband and I knit all day. My daughter does everything else – she looks after me and does all the cooking. I knit between 12 and 15 hours a day.”
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According to the Press Association, Queen Elizabeth saw the knitted home during a recent visit to Sandringham and was delighted with the piece.
“That was absolutely wonderful, she seemed to enjoy it very much,” Margaret says.
During her visit at the weekend, the monarch was seen driving around Sandringham’s Wood Farm with her good friend and horse racing advisor, John Warren. The farm was a place where Prince Philip spent most of his time during his retirement.
