The Royal Family will be spending Christmas Day at Sandringham House in Norfolk, and a series of photos have been shared offering a glimpse inside the residence
Ian Craig Social Newsdesk Content Editor
20:57, 22 Dec 2025
King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Catherine, and Prince George walking to St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham on Christmas Day 2024(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
One of the most heart-warming aspects of Christmas is the chance to enjoy quality time with family, and the Royal Family are no different. They traditionally celebrate 25th December at Sandringham House, and it seems 2025 will be no exception to this long-standing custom.
The King and Queen, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, will be spending Christmas Day at the Norfolk country house, a location that has played host to generations of Royals.
However, some familiar faces will be absent from the celebrations, including the King’s brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his former wife Sarah Ferguson. They have not been invited to this year’s festivities due to the scandal surrounding the ex-Duke of York’s links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince Harry, his wife Meghan, and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are also not expected to attend.
Aside from the family’s traditional morning stroll to the nearby St Mary Magdalene Church, which draws crowds hoping for a glimpse of the Royals, their Christmas Day celebrations remain strictly private. However, a series of photos have given us a sneak peek into the grand house where they will be spending the day, reports the Mirror.
The photographs posted on Reddit show multiple rooms throughout the property, displaying luxurious carpets and furnishings, portraits hanging on the walls, and elaborate decorative touches. The rooms are carefully colour-coordinated, with some showcasing warm brown and orange tones, whilst others feature pristine cream and pale shades.
Additional photographs show a library with floor-to-ceiling bookcases lining every wall, whilst other images present dining rooms with place settings carefully laid out. One photograph captures the late Queen Elizabeth II on horseback outside the property, with further shots highlighting the impeccably-maintained grounds.
Reddit users had varied responses to the photographs. One wrote: “Rooms are absolutely packed with mismatched, utterly dated floral furniture.”
Another noted: “I remember reading somewhere that Princess Diana said she hated spending Christmas at Sandringham because it was freezing cold and these photos give that vibe. I wouldn’t want to spend a holiday there either. It’s beautiful but looks very cold.”
Someone else commented: “This is stunning from the outside but this kind of interiors feel….lonely to me. Like…they don’t feel like anybody’s home.”
However, another user gushed: “God that green is stunning. As an interior design major these pics look straight from the architecture/interior design history books I had to study for classes (they probably are).”
Since becoming Royal property in 1862, Sandringham has been the backdrop to countless pivotal moments in history. It was here that King George V made the first ever Christmas broadcast in 1932, and a quarter of a century later, his granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II delivered the first televised message from the same location.
The estate has also been the place where both King George V and his son, King George VI, passed away.
The Royal Family maintain a number of Christmas Day customs, including the tradition of men and women eating breakfast separately before joining together for church.
Former Royal chef Darren McGrady shared insights into the Christmas morning routine, revealing that the men and women dine apart before coming together for the walk to the service. He noted that the Royal women generally prefer a lighter breakfast in bed, consisting of “sliced fruit, half a grapefruit, toast, and coffee”, while the men enjoy a hearty full English breakfast featuring eggs, bacon, mushrooms, black pudding, kippers and grilled kidneys.
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry also shared that the family follow a German tradition called Heiligabend Bescherung, where gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve. Nevertheless, Prince William is expected to shake up the family’s Christmas celebrations when he becomes king, including doing away with the custom of exchanging “joke” £5 presents in order of Royal precedence.
The King’s sister, Princess Anne, and his youngest brother, Prince Edward, along with his wife Sophie and their two children, are set to join the festivities at Sandringham this year. Zara and Mike Tindall and their three little ones are also expected to be in attendance.
Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were reportedly invited as well, but they’ve opted for a skiing holiday with friends instead.
Queen Camilla’s children, Laura Lopes and Tom Parker Bowles, were also on the guest list, but it seems they’ve declined the invitation as they only celebrate with their mother every other year. While Princess Eugenie has been a regular attendee in the past, her plans for this year are still up in the air.
While Sandringham House and Gardens is usually open to the public, it will remain shut for the remainder of 2025. For more information, visit https://sandringhamestate.co.uk/tickets/..