How the Royal Family Will Celebrate Christmas Now That Charles is King
The royal family will spend their first Christmas in seven decades without Queen Elizabeth II on the throne. Since the monarch’s death in September and the accession of King Charles III, many royal fans are wondering what kind of changes he will make to the traditions that were associated with his mother. Specifically, they want to know how the royal family will celebrate Christmas now that Charles is king.
Queen Elizabeth started the royal Christmas tradition of traveling to Sandringham
In the early days of Queen Elizabeth’s reign — when her children were small — the royal family spent Christmas and New Year’s at Windsor Castle. But in 1988, the queen moved the celebration to her country estate in Norfolk, known as Sandringham house.
Every year on Christmas day, the queen and other members of her family attended the morning church service at St. Mary Magdalene, Sandringham. It’s a country church that dates back to the 16th century and used to be visited by Elizabeth’s great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
Once the royal family started spending Christmas at Sandringham, the annual morning walk to the church began. Hundreds of fans gather yearly to greet the royals and give them gifts as they make their way to the church.
How will King Charles and the royal family celebrate Christmas this year?
According to PureWow, Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles will pay tribute to his late mother this Christmas by continuing her tradition of traveling to Sandringham for the holiday. In addition to hosting members of the royal family for Christmas dinner, Charles will also attend church services at St. Mary Magdalene.
Joining the king will be his wife, the queen consort, Camilla Parker Bowles. Prince William and Kate Middleton are also expected to attend along with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Royal expert Emily Nash says that celebrating their first Christmas without Queen Elizabeth will be a bittersweet moment for the royal family.
“This is going to be a very poignant Christmas for the king and his family, as their first without the late queen in their midst,” she told Hello! magazine. “But it’s also a chance for them to all come together and share their memories and continue family traditions in the place she loved so much.”
Nash believes that Charles will continue all of his mother’s Christmas traditions, including exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve. The king will also deliver a Christmas message, which he is scheduled to record on December 15.
It’s ‘unlikely’ that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will spend Christmas with the royal family
There’s no doubt that their first Christmas without Queen Elizabeth will be emotional for the royal family. An insider told The Daily Beast that the past two years were “strange” at Christmastime because of COVID, and this year the family is just hoping to have “a big gathering” so they can all spend some time together. The source noted, though, that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would probably not attend.
“Obviously [Charles’] sons have a standing invitation, but the reality is that no one is expecting Harry and Meghan to fly over, given that his book is hanging over everything,” the source shared.
Another possible change to this year’s Christmas guest list at Sandringham could be Camilla’s children. It’s not yet known if her son and daughter — Tom and Laura — will be part of Christmas with the king and queen consort.
