Even Kate Middleton Thought Her Christmas Gift for Queen Elizabeth Was Risky: ‘Could Have Gone Horribly Wrong’
What does one get Queen Elizabeth II for Christmas? That’s what Kate Middleton had to ask herself when she first joined the British royal family over the holidays. After all, the late monarch had a drool-worthy real estate portfolio, art, and priceless jewels. Not to mention, she lived in an actual palace. In short, the queen had it all, presumably making her a challenge in the gift-giving category. Nevertheless, the now-Princess of Wales figured it out, deciding to make food for the queen.
Kate considered what she’d give her grandparents for Christmas before giving Queen Elizabeth homemade chutney
Having been part of the royal family for more than 10 years, Kate’s no stranger to spending Christmas at Sandringham. Located in Norfolk, England, it’s the country estate where the extended family spends the holiday.
Back in 2011, Kate experienced it all for the first time as girlfriends and fiancées weren’t typically invited to join, only wives. That meant finally joining Prince William and the rest of the royal family to take part in traditions such as opening presents on Christmas Eve and walking to church.
In 2016’s Elizabeth at 90: A Family Tribute, Kate looked back on her first royal family Christmas and what she gave the queen, confessing she ultimately decided not to buy a gift but make one.
“I can remember being at Sandringham, for the first time, at Christmas,” Kate said. “And I was worried [about] what to give the queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking, ‘Gosh, what should I give her?’”
“I thought back to what I would give my own grandparents,” she continued. “And I thought, ‘I’ll make her something,’ which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny’s recipe of chutney.”
So that’s what Kate did, she made her grandmother’s chutney and gave it to Queen Elizabeth for Christmas.
Kate ‘worried’ about chutney Christmas gift for Queen Elizabeth
The now-mother of three went on, sharing she wasn’t sure she’d settled on the right Christmas gift for Queen Elizabeth until the royal family’s annual Christmas feast.
“I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table,” Kate said, noting “such a simple gesture went such a long way for” her.
“And I’ve noticed since she’s done that on lots of occasions,” she said of the queen. “And I think it just shows her thoughtfulness, really, and her care in looking after everybody.”
Queen Elizabeth made a special gesture to Kate years before the chutney Christmas gift
Before Kate found herself giving the queen homemade chutney for Christmas, she spent time at another one of the royal family’s estates, Balmoral Castle. Located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Balmoral is where royals stay in the summer.
As royal author Katie Nicholl explained in her 2013 book Kate: The Future Queen, the queen made yet another thoughtful gesture to her granddaughter-in-law in the years before Kate officially joined the family.
Queen Elizabeth “went out of her way to make her [Kate] feel welcome, giving her permission to take pictures at Balmoral,” Nicholl wrote, citing it as unusual for the monarch (via Express).
“As a woman who has lived her entire life in the public eye, the queen rarely lets her guard down,” the author explained. “And very few apart from her family and closest friends get to see the real Elizabeth.”
