The history of the royal family has always been steeped in tradition — especially when it comes to the way they celebrate the holidays. It's no surprise that, during her life, Queen Elizabeth famously liked to do things just so, and that definitely applied to Christmas. Though in recent years the royals have had to change things up a bit to keep everyone safe and healthy, we have a feeling that King Charles plans to continue most, if not all, of the traditions the royals have done around the holiday season.
For the most part, the royal Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England, plays a major role in the festivities, with the family showing up for the Christmas service (and photo ops, of course) that morning. There are also certain traditions around everything else, from the way the royals open gifts to how they spend the rest of the day after church.
Want to celebrate like a royal? Here's how King Charles, Kate Middleton, Prince William, and the rest of the family fête the holiday with all of their annual traditions.
Christmas Pudding Countdown
To start the countdown to Christmas, royal tradition dictates that the Sunday before Advent is Stir-Up Sunday. Advent is the four-week period leading up to Christmas. During this time, bakers get desserts ready for the holiday season. In 2020, the royal family's Instagram page shared the royal kitchen's traditional Christmas pudding recipe for all to enjoy.
Christmas Lunch
Before she headed to her country estate for the holidays, the Queen usually threw a luncheon in the week or so before Christmas at Buckingham Palace, but it's yet to be seen if King Charles will do the same. The extended family is invited, and it's a fun affair for all as they prepare for the bigger celebration to come the following week.
Annual Family Christmas Card
Although they don't always release them to the public, the royals always send out Christmas cards with photos of their families to their relatives, friends, and various organizations they work with. According to the royals' website, the Queen's Christmas card list was 750 names long, and we imagine those people will all receive a similar card from Charles this year.
Unique Tree Ornaments
Most people have Christmas ornaments that mean something special to their family, and the same goes for the royal family. When Queen Elizabeth was in charge, her special ornaments were all various types of crowns, because she was the head of the monarchy. If anyone ever forgot that fact, they'd just have to look at her regal Christmas decorations to remember. Maybe Charles will keep it going?
Charity Events
Throughout December, the royals make sure to check in with their various patronages. They often attend holiday charity events or throw Christmas parties at their palaces to honor and support the monarchy's many charitable causes. All this giving back really highlights the true meaning of Christmas.
Donating Trees & Money
In addition to the royal family giving their time to charitable events during the holiday season, the reigning monarch makes several donations for Christmas. According to the royal family website, Elizabeth gave money to local Windsor charities and bestowed Christmas trees to Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, and local churches and schools around Sandringham — maybe Charles will do the same, or pick organizations that are special to him.
Listening to Christmas Music
We all love holiday tunes, and so do the royals. Not surprisingly, when they listen to carols, they're usually being performed by a whole choir. The monarchy makes everything fancy, even Christmas music. And lately, Kate has even been the one in charge of the annual Christmas concert broadcast.
Snooping for Gifts
Some naughty royals go searching for their gifts ahead of the big day and open them early. Princess Diana seems to have started the trend, and it's carried on through her bloodline.
As she once wrote to a friend, "I could not resist opening my present, as a parcel of any shape or form has never been safe with me, and I fear that William has also picked up this dreadful habit from his mother, as I find wrapping paper undone in the most extraordinary places!" Reportedly, Prince George has since adopted the same habit.
Opening Presents on Christmas Eve
The sanctioned gift-opening time for all the members of the royal family is Christmas Eve. Unlike many families, the royals don't wait until Christmas Day for presents.
It's a German tradition that the family has continued, and it likely will never change. We wonder if the kids ever wish they could open gifts on Christmas morning like their friends?
The Royals Give Gag Gifts
Although the children do get standard toys and such, the adult royals like to swap gag gifts. After all, what else do you get the prince or duchess who has everything? According to Express, reported gag gifts in the past included a hat with a dirty phrase on it for the Queen (courtesy of Prince Harry) and a grow-your-own-girlfriend kit for Harry from Kate. (Pre-Meghan, of course.)
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Harry & William's Christmas Eve Soccer Game
In years past, brothers William and Harry made a habit out of holding a soccer game on Christmas Eve with the Sandringham estate's staff. Now that they're older, they probably don't uphold the custom anymore. But if they ever do mend fences, they should bring back this holiday tradition.
Christmas Day Church Service
Come Christmas morning, the royals head to church together while most families are opening gifts. It's always fun to see how dressed up the family members get, and in recent years, William and Kate's children have also attended. We can't wait until Prince Louis is old enough to join his siblings for this momentous occasion.
The Christmas Address
For nearly 70 years, the Queen made an annual address to her public on Christmas Day. She usually talked about the events of the past year, and she always tried to inspire and uplift people on this special day. Also notable is that she included photos of her family in the background of the address, which usually means we'd get to see a couple new photos of the Cambridge kids. It wouldn't be surprising if Charles continued this tradition, giving his first address this year.
Festive Drinks
The royals reportedly enjoy their alcohol at Christmas, and they could take a note or two from Meghan Markle about festive holiday drinks. Back when the duchess still had her blog, she wrote about Christmas parties and even shared a recipe for one of her favorite beverages: an almond milk spiced holiday cocktail. Yum.
Quiet Christmas Day
With most of their big activities taking place on Christmas Eve, the royals have a more laid-back December 25. As the Queen's grandson-in-law Mike Tindall revealed, "Christmas Day is a little more quiet because it's actually a cold buffet because they give everyone the day off."
It's nice that the royals let the staff enjoy the holiday, too, even if that means they have to eat a cold meal.
Getting Weighed Before Dinner
It's strange, but true — going all the way back to King Edward VII, the royals have a tradition of weighing everyone before they eat Christmas dinner and afterward. This is thought to be a measure of how much they enjoyed the holiday; the royal chefs prepare a huge turkey dinner, so they better eat up to show they had a good time!
Doing Impressions
Although she was the serious type, it sounds like the Christmas season was when Elizabeth really let loose. According to royal sources, the Queen enjoyed playing charades and doing celebrity impressions when the whole family got together for the holidays. Who would have guessed?
