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The past year has brought tough challenges for the royal family – but in an era of change and uncertainty, their Christmas celebrations remain a comforting constant.
Tradition is the cornerstone of Christmas with the Windsors, with the routine and festive activities remaining largely the same for decades – even when the faces round the dinner table change.
This year’s guestlist will include the King, Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, along with Anne, Princess Royal and her family, as well as the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children.
Notably absent will be the Duke of York, who has been convinced by his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, not to join the festivities to save Charles the awkwardness of uninviting him after his ties to an alleged Chinese spy came to light.
The late Queen Elizabeth II famously hosted every Christmas at the family’s country estate in Norfolk since 1998 – with her son King Charles continuing the tradition into his first years as monarch.
The royal family usually leaves their respective residences just before Christmas and to head to Sandringham House, the late Queen’s country estate in Norfolk.
The sprawling 20,000 acre, 29 bedroom estate has a rich history within the family, with the house originally being built in 1870 by Queen Victoria for her son, Prince Albert Edward, who later became King Edward VII.
Once they have all arrived, they meet in the house’s White Drawing Room to finish decorating the Christmas tree and in a nod to the family’s German heritage, they open their present’s on Christmas Eve.
Prince Harry discussed the royal family’s Christmas Eve traditions in his 2023 memoir, Spare: “We were at Sandringham in a big room with a long table covered with white cloth and white name cards. By custom, at the start of the night, each of us located our place, stood before our mound of presents. Then suddenly, everyone began opening at the same time. A free-for-all, with scores of family members talking at once and pulling at bows and tearing at wrapping paper.”
They then get changed and enjoy a black tie dinner before the main events of the following day.
Christmas morning begins in a more low-key manner, with each member of the family waking up to stockings filled with smaller gifts including fruit.
They will then embark on their annual, and high-profile, walk to a morning church service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, the chapel on the Sandringham grounds, where royal fans flock to watch the family members arrive at the service.
In the afternoon on Christmas Day, the royal family will enjoy their traditional lunch and may sit down to watch Charles deliver his Christmas message to the nation, before they the family reportedly play charades into the evening.
The festivities continue the next day, as the family embarks on their traditional Boxing Day hunt.
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