Prince William and Princess Kate's three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have a real treat in store this summer, as their grandfather King Charles is constructing something very special in one of his royal gardens.
The surprise in store for the royal children is a brand-new maze on the grounds of the King's Royal Sandringham estate in Norfolk – inspired by the elaborate labyrinth he played in there as a child.
In his childhood, Charles would spend hours playing in a maze on the estate, however, the fun garden feature was removed several decades ago.
Now the royal grandfather is bringing it back, which we think is a wonderful idea. We bet George, Charlotte and Louis can't wait to run around the maze together.
The square maze is due for completion this summer and will have a pattern of paths and topiary hedges. Indeed, new photos reveal the hedges have already been planted around a fountain in Sandringham's Lowe Maze Garden, on the estate's West Lawn.
Way back in the 1800s, the garden on the west side of Sandringham House was a formal Parterre Garden but was subsequently reverted to a lawn.
A notice currently situated at the front of the garden reads: "Adding a horticultural dimension to adjoin the recently completed Topiary Garden, this whole new area will complete a formal aspect for visitors to enjoy in the gardens at Sandringham."
Interestingly, the new maze is the third royal maze to be constructed in the last 300 years – King Charles recently created mazes at Dumfries House in Ayrshire and Balmoral in Aberdeenshire.
In 2023, the King also redeveloped an acre of land at Sandringham into an eco-friendly Topiary Garden, introducing new hardier and more robust species to endure the British weather.
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George, Charlotte and Louis will no doubt be itching to explore the new maze together, perhaps competing amongst themselves to be first to find the central point. Their parents William and Kate are known to be very hands-on with their children so we imagine they would join in the fun.
Sandringham Gardens are open to the public from April to October. There is also a fabulous wooden play area for children in the forest on the estate, featuring swings, zip lines, woodland walkways and water and sand play.