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This Christmas, King Charles and Queen Camilla will host a larger than usual gathering as they will be joined more than 40 members of the Royal Family at Sandringham.
Dozens of royals – including the Prince and Princess of Wales along with their children – will head to Norfolk on December 25, where they will enjoy quality time and take part in annual royal Christmas festivities – including watching the King’s pre-recorded speech in the saloon in Sandringham – a room which plays a key role in the family’s festive days.
While the royals have their own special way of marking the holiday, the core traditions have remained largely unchanged from the days of Queen Elizabeth II.
King Charles may have added his own touches since taking the throne, but the core basics – tight schedules, festive meals, and plenty of family time – are just as they’ve always been.
For many key members of the Firm, royal Christmas celebrations come with a precise 72-hour timetable that leaves little room for relaxation.
According to royal author Robert Jobson, as revealed to OK!: ‘The schedule still exists and it’s really quite exhausting. One minute you’re doing one thing, then you have to change for drinks, then get changed again for dinner.’
But amid their busy itineraries, the royals still find time for the things they cherish most, like Christmas Eve presents and the famous Christmas Day walk to church, which is the only part of their festivities shared with the public.
On Christmas Day, the family sits down to enjoy a traditional dinner at 1pm, complete with crackers, corny jokes – enthusiastically encouraged by the late Queen Elizabeth – and lots of laughter.
This year, King Charles and Queen Camilla will host a larger than usual gathering this Christmas as they will be joined more than 40 members of the Royal Family (pictured: the saloon at Sandringham)
Dozens of royals – including the Prince and Princess of Wales along with their children – will head to Norfolk on December 25, where they will enjoy quality time and take part in annual royal Christmas festivities (stock image)
Once the meal is over, it’s time to head to one of Sandringham’s most opulent and distinguished spaces: the saloon.
This stunning, double-height room is where each member of the Royal Family comes together after dinner, as well as enjoying afternoon tea on Christmas Eve.
With its wood panelling, chandeliers, and original Minstrel’s gallery – which once housed a live band when the room was used as a ballroom – the saloon is a space filled with history and character.
The impressive saloon, located at the entrance to the nineteenth century house, spans two floors and is complete with a wooden dining table, detailed tapestries, cream sofas, and a piano, topped with photos.
Poignantly, the room also contains a large painting of the late Queen; as the royals remember the monarch on a day meant for family.
According to Jobson, the vast space is where royals gather to unwind, sip Veuve Clicquot champagne and enjoy each other’s company.
At 3pm, it’s showtime; as all eyes turn to the television to watch King Charles’ pre-recorded Christmas Day speech, as is tradition.
Jobson explained: ‘They retire there to watch the King’s pre-recorded Christmas message at 3pm, all standing for the National Anthem.’
For the royals, this speech is as much a part of the day as the dinner itself, and it’s in this warm, elegant room that they take a moment to reflect on the year and their role within the United Kingdom.
This stunning, double-height room is where each member of the Royal Family comes together after dinner to watch the King’s speech on Christmas Day
The impressive saloon, located at the entrance to the nineteenth century house, spans two floors and is complete with a wooden dining table, detailed tapestries, cream sofas, and a piano, topped with photos
At 3pm, it’s showtime; as all eyes turn to the television to watch King Charles’ pre-recorded Christmas Day speech, as is tradition (stock image)
The saloon, which overlooks the grand entrance hall, has always been a gathering place for the family, whether they’re watching TV, playing games, or enjoying afternoon tea.
If the weather permits, Jobson revealed they might even take a walk around Sandringham’s grounds, enjoying the peaceful surroundings.
In this cosy yet grand setting, King Charles and up to 45 members of the Royal Family will spend their Christmas afternoon together, continuing a tradition that’s been passed down through generations.
While King Charles is hosting his ‘biggest ever’ family Christmas in Sandringham, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are set for a very lonely day 130 miles away in Windsor.
The beleaguered duke has agreed to skip the annual Christmas festivities at the Norfolk estate and the King’s pre-Christmas lunch in London following counselling from his loyal ex-wife as controversy rages over his links to a ‘Chinese spy’.
Meanwhile, Princess Beatrice, who is currently expecting her second child with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, has joined in with the the festivities at Sandringham, after her initial plans were scrapped following medical advice.
The Princess of York, 36, had planned to fly to Italy to celebrate the festive period with her 40-year-old husband’s parents in their 18th century Italian mansion.
However, Buckingham Palace revealed last weekend that the late Queen’s granddaughter changed her festive plans following medical advice that she should not travel for ‘long distances’.
On October 1, the Palace announced Princess Beatrice was expecting the baby ‘in early spring’. She is now in the third trimester of her pregnancy, which starts from 28 weeks.
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