If there’s one family who knows how to celebrate Christmas, it’s the Royal Family.
Whether it be a gala, charity event, or attending their son’s nativity play (young Prince Harry endeared the crowd as a shepherd in 1988), there are always festive royal engagements to attend.
From elegance to style, every member has left a lasting impression during the festive season, even the little royals!
So, what Christmas traditions do the royal family have, and what can we expect them to do this silly season?
01
The official Royal Christmas Card
Like many families, the royals send out annual holiday cards.
According to the royal family’s official website, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh would send around 750 Christmas cards each year.
The cards were sent to well-wishers around the world and usually featured a family photo and was signed ‘Elizabeth R’ and ‘Philip’.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are now the face of the the annual Christmas card, with their 2024 card pictured above. You can see their previous Christmas cards here.
02
Exchanging Christmas gifts
While they do exchange gifts within the Royal Family, they don’t open presents on Christmas day.
On Christmas Eve, their presents are laid out on trestle tables and they each exchange their gifts at teatime.
In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry talks about his Christmas Eve traditions.
“We were at Sandringham in a big room with a long table covered with white cloth and white name cards. By custom, at the start of the night, each of us located our place, stood before our mound of presents,” he wrote.
“Then suddenly, everyone began opening at the same time. A free-for-all, with scores of family members talking at once and pulling at bows and tearing at wrapping paper.”
03
Christmas trees throughout the castle
Each year we see the Royal Family’s stunning Christmas tree. Queen Charlotte is thought to have been the one who introduced the Christmas tree to the Royal Family.
However, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert helped spread the custom throughout the country due to their enthusiasm of the tradition.
In previous years, Prince William, Princess Kate and their three children were spotted shopping for Christmas trees at Windsor Great Park.
“It’s no surprise that Prince William and his family picked their tree from Windsor Great Park,” a source told HELLO!
“The late Queen always sourced Windsor Castle’s Christmas trees there, and King Charles did so last year, too. He is keeping with the family tradition.”
04
The annual Christmas speech and broadcast
Each year Her Majesty would address the Commonwealth and the world through her annual Christmas broadcast, delivering us all a message of hope and peace.
After over 70 years of Queen Elizabeth delivering the speech, we saw King Charles step into the role for the very first time in 2022.
Last year, King Charles paid a touching tribute to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth.
This tradition has occurred each year since 1952 however it was first televised in 1957.
05
Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace
In the week leading up to Christmas, Queen Elizabeth had a tradition of holding an annual Christmas lunch.
The luncheon is held for extended members of the family and was typically held at Buckingham Palace, however, since the Queen’s passing, King Charles and Queen Camilla are now in charge of this affair.
Last year they hosted the lunch at Windsor Castle – perhaps this will happen again this year.
This affair is generally very private and we don’t get to see what happens, however there are often photos taken of the family going to and from the event.
06
Attend church on Christmas day
One regular royal tradition is attending a church service together on Christmas day.
After unwrapping gifts the night before, the Windsor family all come together to attend a service at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate.
Some of the most iconic photos of the family have been walking to this church, including the one above of the ‘Awesome Foursome’ as they were known at the time, Prince Harry and Prince William and their respective wives, Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton.
07
Games and sports on Christmas
If The Crown is anything to go by, the Royal Family loves a fun game!
According to Good Housekeeping, they specifically love to keep themselves entertained with games like Charades, jigsaw puzzles and maybe even a movie on Christmas day.
The publication also reported that Prince William and Prince Harry started a soccer tradition where they challenged nearby villagers for a charity match!
08
Spending the holidays at Sandringham
The family typically spend the holidays at Sandringham House. Sandringham House a royal residence on the Sandringham Estate in North Norfolk, England, just 100 miles north of London.
To mark the occasion, the Queen used to travel there by train to King’s Lynn Station in Norfolk.
The Royal Family plans to continue the tradition this year and will also include Queen Camilla family.
In an interview with The Telegraph, the Queen’s son Tom Parker Bowles said he plans to join the royal family for Christmas for the first time
Best photos of the Royals celebrating Christmas
It’s time to take a festive trip down memory lane and have a peek into the royal family’s Christmas photo album. Scroll on to see some of our favourite pics…
Spreading the Yuletide cheer, the Cambridges hosted a party for military families in 2018.
Little Archie sure stole the show as the Sussexes celebrated their first Christmas as a family of three in 2019.
Prince William dressed up for the occasion back in 1987, even donning a helmet!
Princess Charlotte was cute as a button, mesmerised by a candy cane at the 2016 church service.
Princess Beatrice and Eugenie clearly made Santa’s nice list in 1997. The sisters left the Sandringham church service laden with presents.
One must put one’s muscles into it! William, the Queen and Charles watched George make a pudding in 2019.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, invited sick kids to meet one of Santa’s reindeers in 2019. Aww!
At a 1992 gala, Princess Diana studiously avoids disguised pollies’ Jeffrey Archer and Denis Healey’s presence.
The Duchess of Cambridge jollied along preschool kids picking out a special tree in 2019.
The Queen delivering her Christmas message in 2014, cuts a festive figure.
Prince Harry in character as a shepherd for a nativity play in 1988.
In 1943, Princess Elizabeth boosts wartime morale on the home front, assuming the title role in panto production of Aladdin at Windsor castle, opposite her sister, Margaret.
Eugenie, Beatrice and their mum, Sarah, Duchess of York, put in their requests to Santa at a charity bash back in 1999.
In 1990, William and Harry took Saint Nick’s sleigh for a spin. “On Dasher, on Dancer…”
Young Princess Elizabeth sent cards for Christmas in 1942 to Grenadier guards fighting in World War II.
He comes bearing light in 2006, the village of Ashover in Derbyshire invited Prince Charles to turn on their Christmas lights.
Her majesty received posies from one of Santa’s helpers at the 2014 Christmas Day service.
No white Christmas here! Prince Harry donned Mrs Claus braids and a Santa hat while serving with troops in Afghanistan in 2012.
‘Tis the season… to give back. Meghan made decorations with nursing home residents in London’s Twickenham in 2018. Bless!
Camilla inspects Father Christmas’ cheery transport upgrade in 2012.
Charles and Camilla’s 2017 Christmas card adorned their glittering tree at Clarence house.
Prince William accepted gifts from a myriad of well wishers as he arrived at the Christmas service in 1997.
The Queen reads with her sons, Princes Andrew and Edward, as part of her Yuletide message to her beloved Commonwealth in 1971.
Better not pout, Charles – Santa’s about! He and Camilla met the jolly old fellow before turning on the lights in Cornwall in 2012.
Charles and Diana doted on wee William, celebrating his first Christmas in 1982. Aww!
The Queen and the Queen mother were rockin’ around the Christmas tree at Buckingham Palace in 1998.
No nerves here! The Queen was a picture of poise while delivering her inaugural Christmas broadcast in 1952.
Camilla seemed to be giving this portly gentleman quite a ticking off at a horsey event in 2012. Bah, humbug – but one is amused!
There’s no mistaking whose bauble this is – it’s her tree’s crowning glory!
The Queen gets into the spirit in 2018, adorning a public tree in London.
Always a royal rebel, Diana ditched the traditional red and green dress code for the 1987 Church service at Windsor castle.
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