The Gist
The royal family is preparing for its annual Christmas celebrations at Sandringham.
Guests will begin arriving on Christmas Eve, and the family has a great many traditions they enjoy year-to-year.
As King Charles continues cancer treatment—and with the recent ex-Prince Andrew fallout—there might be “a wistful tone” at the family’s Christmas celebrations this year.
Anyone who knows even a little bit about the British royal family knows that Christmas is special to them. It’s full of traditions—the annual walk to church at St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate, opening presents on Christmas Eve, watching the monarch’s speech on television together—and this year will be no different.
As King Charles continues to battle cancer, there is an added layer of poignancy. “The celebration may carry a wistful tone,” a source told Us Weekly for its new cover story. “However, it will also be a time of celebration, especially after Kate [Middleton] received the all-clear.”
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Kate Middleton and King Charles at Trooping the Colour in 2024.
While 2025 hasn’t been as “brutal” (in Prince William’s words) as 2024, it has still had challenges. A silver lining? The Princess of Wales shared in January that she is in remission from cancer, and the Wales family of five moved this year, from the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage to the eight-bedroom Forest Lodge, which the family intend to use as their “forever home,” even after William becomes king.
William, Kate, and their kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are looking forward to “creating memories” at Forest Lodge now that they’ve moved in, and the Wales kids “love Christmas,” the insider added.
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Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince Louis, and Prince William on Christmas Day 2024
The Prince and Princess of Wales “want to create a traditional Christmas without airs and graces, unlike what Charles might have had as a child,” the source said.
Those attending the Sandringham family Christmas will begin arriving on Christmas Eve, and royal historian Marlene Koenig told Us Weekly there will be an afternoon tea with traditional cakes, sandwiches, and coronation chicken (chicken in a curried mayonnaise sauce), followed later by a black-tie dinner and the exchange of gifts.
“The royals prefer jokey or inexpensive gifts,” Koenig said. “There’s a competition to see who can get the funniest one,” a source added.
Indigo/Getty Sandringham House
On Christmas Day, the royals attend church and then will return back to the main house at Sandringham before lunch, which is “a very traditional meal with turkey from [a] local butcher and all the trimmings,” Koenig explained. At 3 p.m., the family watches the King’s speech, and later have a buffet dinner that can include dishes like ham, salmon, and numerous side dishes. For dessert, there will be “delicacies and Charbonnel et Walker chocolates,” Koenig said.
It’s clear that the royal family wants to make the most of their time together this Christmas. “Although we do not know what cancer Charles has, it is apparent that his treatment allows him to continue a normal life,” Koenig said.
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King Charles on April 8, 2025
“Charles wants to have a traditional holiday with all the royals,” a source told Us Weekly. “Every family Christmas is precious, but it’s especially so for him this year.”
Read the original article on InStyle