The British Royal Family at Christmas
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| The British Royal Family celebrates Christmas at Sandringham. Image: Wikimedia Commons |
The Royal Family usually heads to Sandringham House, the
Queen’s country estate in Norfolk for Christmas and New Year. But before that, the Queen hosts a pre-Christmas
lunch at Buckingham Palace. The dinner is a royal tradition which allows the
monarch to see members of the extended royal family who cannot join her on Christmas.
Before Christmas Eve, the Queen and Prince Philip would lead
the royal exodus to Sandringham. Until the 1960s, Christmas was spent at
Sandringham. However, the growing royal family prompted her to celebrate the
holidays at the “more numerous and spacious rooms of Windsor Castle” until 1988
when Windsor Castle had to be rewired. That year’s holiday gathering was moved
back to Sandringham.
Even the Christmas celebration have to have its routines,
albeit in a more relaxed manner. The
Queen and Prince Philip will always be the first to arrive in Sandringham. By 9am
on Christmas Eve, the junior members of the Royal Family arrive followed
shortly by the senior members. The
royals are a stickler to deeply traditional Christmas but that doesn’t prevent
them from introducing their own “cheap and cheerful” gift-giving ceremony on
Christmas Eve.
The Royals and the
Christmas Tree
There is little denying that it is mainly because of the
British Royal Family that putting up the Christmas tree became popular
tradition. Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III, is said to have introduced
the Christmas tree to the Royal Family. Prince Albert later imported spruce
firs from his native Coburg. By the 1850s, the tradition of setting up
Christmas trees already caught up with the masses. Today, The Queen and Members
of her family, usually make the finishing touches on their Christmas tree.
“All the family help decorate the 20ft Norfolk spruce when
they arrive at Sandringham on Christmas Eve,” Lady Elizabeth Anson, the Queen’s
cousin revealed.
“ Prince Philip always places the gold
star at the top, and Queen Victoria’s little glass angels take pride of place,”
She continued.
“Cheap and Cheerful”
Exchange of Gifts
On Christmas Eve, members of the Royal Family place their
presents on trestle tables covered with white linen. Then, they would exchange
their gifts after teatime, according to the Royal Family’s website.
They prefer cheap but hilarious gifts
over lavish presents. For example, Princess Anne once gave Charles a white
leather loo seat while William gave Philip a gumboot-shaped soap. Harry presented
the Queen with a shower cap with the inscriptions ‘Ain’t life a bitch?’ The
Duchess of Cambridge once gave Prince Harry, a ‘grow your own girlfriend’ kit.
Lady Elizabeth Anson also explains that the Queen delights
in receiving useful, practical presents. When she received a washing-up apron,
she declared: ‘It’s just what we wanted.’ She also enjoyed receiving a
casserole dish.
Once, Princess Diana, newly minted as a member of the Royal
Family, “fell foul” of the royals’ “cheap and cheerful” ceremony. She ended up
buying a costly cashmere sweater to Princess Anne, who, in exchange gave her a
kitschy loo-roll holder. She learned her lesson and so later gifted the Duchess
of York with a leopard-print bath mat.
The Queen’s Gifts to
Her Staff
It has been a practice since the reign of King George V to
distribute puddings to the royal household staff on Christmas. Before the Queen
gives away pudding from Harrods or Fortnum & Mason.
However, for financial
reasons, the Queen now prefers Tesco’s Finest Matured Christmas Pudding.
Those who have loyally served The Queen for quite some time
also receive additional Christmas gift - vouchers.
The Queen also gives money her favourite charities in
Windsor. Christmas trees are also sent to Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's
Cathedral, St. Giles' Cathedral and the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh. Churches
and schools in the Sandringham also receive a tree from Her Majesty.
Aside from puddings and trees, about 750 Christmas Cards are
also sent out to members of the Royal Family and the Royal Household. The card
bears the family photo and comes with the Queen and Prince Philip’s signature, 'Elizabeth
R' and 'Philip,' and it also features their official cyphers.
However, the Duke of Edinburgh sends out 200 more
cards to different regiments and organizations close to him.
Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day Celebrations
Dinner on Christmas Eve is strictly a formal affair. “It is
unusual for the Queen to sit at the head
of the table but there is a seating plan with name cards,” said Lady Elizabeth.
The royals are served with goose, beef or chicken. Turkey is reserved for
Christmas lunch. On Christmas morning, the royals are treated to a breakfasts
of marmalade, tiptree jams, and sausages—the latter being the Queen’s favorite.
On Christmas morning, the royals would take a short walk to
the church of St. Mary Magdalene for the Christmas service that typically lasts
for less than an hour. As they return to Sandringham House after the service, the
royals usually stop by to chat with the crowd. It is not unusual that bouquets
of flowers and gifts are given to the Queen or the members of her family by the
adoring crowd.
Lunch is served at Sandringham House at 1pm. Turkey is a
staple and it is usually carved by the Queen’s chef. A choice of carved cold
meats in available on the sideboard, including a boar’s head!
Later, the family gathers together to watch Queen’s speech in
a large Jacobean-style sitting room. The
only person who begs off is the Queen, who after all recorded it in the first
place.
The Christmas Broadcast was started by King George V in 1932.
The shy, stammering King George VI, continued
his father’s tradition when he reigned from 1936 until 1952. When his own
daughter the Queen succeeded to the throne in 1952, she originally made her
broadcast live from Sandringham. These days,
the Queen’s broadcast is pre-recorded and is made available on radio,
television and the internet.
References
Barison, Barnes(2006). The First
Christmas Tree. History Today, Volume
56 Issue 12.
Griffith, Carson (2017). The
Royal Family's Holiday Traditions Are Surprisingly Thrifty. Architectural Digest.
How
the Royal Family Celebrates Christmas. The
Good Housekeeping
Joseph, Claudia (2013). Have
yourself a very ROYAL Christmas! The ingredients that make a Sandringham festive
feast so special... and how you can emulate the occasion, by the Queen's cousin.
Mail Online
Ritschel, Chelsea. The
Royal Family's Christmas Tradition Revealed. The
Independent
The Royal Family at Christmas. The Royal Family’s Official
Website
The
Royal Family Today. Foreword
by the Earl of Lichfield; text by Trevor Hall. Book Club Associates. 
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