The Traditions The Royal Family Honors at Christmas Each Year
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
Like many families around the world, the British royals have their own unique set of Christmas customs. Every December the Windsors make an annual trip to the Sandringham Estate, where they celebrate the holidays. They play pick-up games of charades and football—and have black-tie dinners, naturally.
In fact, they even have the tradition of exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve. As Prince Harry wrote in Spare, "The whole family gathered to open gifts on Christmas Eve, as always, a German tradition that survived the anglicizing of the family surname from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor."
Since the passing of their beloved matriarch, Queen Elizabeth, the Windsor Christmas celebrations have largely remained the same. Here, 12 of the royal family's annual traditions:
There is a Christmas luncheon at Buckingham Palace.
Most years (Covid-era excluded), the week leading up to Christmas meant one thing in particular: Queen Elizabeth would host her annual luncheon. The affair is for extended members of the family and it's held at Buckingham Palace. And while we generally don't get to see what happens, there are often photos of the family going to and from to look forward to, such as this picture of Princes William and Harry with Kate Middleton and Prince George en route to said occasion.
However, King Charles and Queen Camilla have since hosted the lunch at Windsor Castle—so perhaps the tradition is changing, slightly.
Members of the family host Christmas parties throughout the season.
As we all know, members of the royal family serve as patrons to many charities, and during the holidays in particular, they go out of their way to support the causes closest to their hearts by throwing Christmas parties.
In recent years, Kate, now the Princess of Wales, has hosted a Christmas Carol service, attended by many members of the royal family.
They send annual Christmas cards to well-wishers around the world.
Like many families around the world, the royals send out annual holiday cards. According to the royal family's official website, Queen Elizabeth used to send around 750 cards total, which, per Popsugar, she would customarily start signing on her Summer trip to Balmoral.
They spend the holiday at the Sandringham Estate
The Windsors typically spend the holidays at their home in Sandringham, just 100 miles north of London. However, during the pandemic, the family celebrated the occasion at Windsor. In the past two years, King Charles was joined by the rest of the royals at Sandringham, and we can expect to see them there again this December.
The Queen used to mark the occasion by traveling by train to King's Lynn Station in Norfolk, as pictured here in 2017.
The Princes would play football.
Popsugar reports that Prince William and Prince Harry used to play a Christmas Eve game of pick-up football (that's soccer for our American readers) on the Sandringham Estate alongside members of the staff. Team William reportedly wore Aston Villa socks while Team Harry wore Arsenal apparel. Nothing like a bit of cardio before a holiday celebration!
Of course, Prince Harry isn't likely to be at Sandringham this year, as he now lives in the U.S. with Meghan and his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
They donate to local charities in Windsor every year.
In addition to the donations, the royal family's website reveals that the monarch gives Christmas trees to Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, St. Giles' Cathedral, and the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh. In the past, it was also customary that "churches and schools in the Sandringham area would also receive a tree from Her Majesty."
They attend a black-tie dinner on Christmas Eve.
Some families do ugly sweaters, but tradition dictates that the family attends a black-tie dinner on Christmas Eve, where (at least in prior years), according to Popsugar, the Queen's favorite cocktail, the "Zaza" was served.
In his memoir, Prince Harry says the royal family dines at a "long table covered with white cloth and white name cards."
The family has multiple Christmas trees.
Three fir trees are brought to the Marble Hall in Buckingham Palace each year. And this tradition goes way back, in fact, it was popularized in the nineteenth century by King Charles's great- great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria.
As former royal chef Darren McGrady explained to Good Housekeeping, the royal family also has a large Christmas tree and a large silver artificial tree in the dining room at Sandringham. In the past, the great-grandchildren would help decorate. Corgi ornaments even have decorated the tree!
Gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve.
The Windsors honor their German heritage by opening presents after afternoon tea on Christmas Eve instead of on Christmas Day.
Prince Harry writes in his memoir Spare of Christmas Eve traditions: "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."
The whole family attends Christmas services together.
Each year on Christmas Day, the Windsor family comes together for a church service at St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate. Though, it is unlikely that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be in attendance with their family this year.
They play a game of charades on Christmas Day.
The Windsors reportedly assemble for a matchup of charades every year after Christmas lunch. Just think of the hijinks that ensue!
The Annual Christmas broadcast.
Every year since 1952, the Queen recorded an annual Christmas broadcast to the Commonwealth, in which she reflected on the past year and looks ahead to the future. Since 1957, the broadcast has been televised, and the whole royal family is said to watch it together on Christmas Day. King Charles has carried on this tradition since he inherited the throne.
You Might Also Like
