How does the British royal family spend Christmas?

Do you remember the movie Spencer, in which Kirsten Stewart in the role of Lady Diana weighs herself, on the orders of Queen Elizabeth, before and after the festive lunches? This is just one of the many oddities that have been handed down for decades on habits of royalty when they sit down at the table for the holidays. The royal family, like every year, will meet on the estate of Sandringham for celebrate Christmas in perfect British style. Here are all the stages of the Royal Christmasbetween traditions, menus and unusual moments.

All at Sandringham

The Christmas holidays, from the kingdom of Elizabeth, are held on the Sandringham estate, approximately 100 miles north of London. The queen traveled by train and reached, for Christmas Eve, the place of her heart that she shared with her husband Philipaccompanied by court loyalists. Then she wore a scarf, rubber boots and she enjoyed the countryside and the visit of the horses in the stables, far from the headaches of the city.

Charles has chosen to maintain this tradition and will bring the royal family with him to Sandringham on Christmas Day. Even the king has always been fond of the Norfolk estate where his parents spent most of their married life. In recent years, the villa has become the place where Carlo concentrates his passion for gardening and agriculture.

A tea on Christmas Eve

The appointment, par excellence, on Christmas Eve is the 4pm afternoon tea. The family meets in the decorated parlor of the Norfolk estate and shares a snack of gingerbread, cakes and scones, sandwiches filled with ham and English mustard, cheeses, pickles and the world-famous Coronation Chickenall washed down with Earl Gray tea. Soon after, for the Windsors, it’s time for gifts. Then we get ready for dinner. According to one tradition, male family members must strictly wear a black tie.

The Queen’s Tree

If a Windsor is exhibited every year a 7-metre Norway spruce it’s at Buckingham Palace appears a trio of Christmas trees in Marble Hall, Sandringham is no different. On the contrary. The tree displayed in the Christmas estate has one more feature: it was always the queen herself who put the finishing touches, to place the last Christmas ball. The memory comes to us from the much-discussed documentary on the Royal Family which aired on the BBC and ITV in 1969. Who knows if King Charles will also respect this tradition this year. Everything else is decorated by the palace servants.

Would you like some turkey?

The traditional Christmas lunch is served on December 25th. According to the royal family’s chef of more than 10 years, Darren Grady, the menu varies “from a homemade stuffing with sage and onion, to Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, sometimes parsnips and carrots. It varies from year to year. Then mashed potatoes and roast potatoes, homemade gravy, finally Christmas pudding with brandy sauce». Of course, the turkeythe true star of the lunch on the 25th.

Soon after, everyone settles down in front of the TV to watch His Majesty’s traditional message to his subjects, which airs at 3pm UK time. All the guests of the family are seated at the table, except the children. Little princes and princesses eat in a dedicated room, together with the nannies. Only when they are old enough to know the rules of etiquette will they join the rest of the family in the Sandringham salon.

The king’s speech

Here, traditions need to be rewritten. For the first time in more than 70 years we will not see the Christmas speech of Queen Elizabeth. An appointment created by his father, George VI, with the aim of conveying a sense of closeness to the people. For this reason, the queen wanted lunch to start at 13.00 and end at 14.45 sharp (after all, by protocol, when she got up, everyone had to stop eating). The timetable was mandatory because at 15.00 the BBC was broadcasting his speech and she went to his study to review it by herself. This year it will be King Charles who will give the Christmas speech, his first during his reign. Even if we are sure that Elizabeth will be mentioned.

First rule: weigh yourself before and after meals

After the king’s speech and a moment’s rest, the long-awaited event arrives Christmas dinner. The menu for this occasion includes: stuffed wild boar, ox tongue and boiled and roasted hams, salmon and game, potatoes dressed with hollandaise sauce, tomatoes and green salad leaves. Hence the strange story that members of the royal family are asked to “weigh themselves before and after holiday meals”. There Christmas Libra tradition it was begun by Henry VII and continued by Elizabeth II. This curious habit doesn’t actually have a negative meaning: the goal is not to stay online, on the contrary. Putting on a kilo, for the queen, was a sign of approval.

The dress makes the real

The saying “dressing up” has never been so appropriate. Members of the royal family are required to show off their best clothes during Christmas ceremonies. From a sacred occasion in the days around Christmas: Mass at St Mary Magdalene Church near Sandringham. Angela Kelly, stylist and personal adviser to Elizabeth, in her memoir, The Other Side of the Coinhe said: «I started planning the outfits well in advance – about two months before – checking which colors the queen had worn in previous years, because I didn’t want them to repeat themselves over the years».

To collect the baton of put perfect seems to be Kate Middleton, who on the occasion of the concert of Christmas carols in Westminster showed off a coat dress matched with the bag and shoes. All in burgundy color.

Hunting on December 26th

While the British shop around taking advantage of the extraordinary post-Christmas discounts, for the royals December 26 is the day of the hunting. If before the tradition involved only the males of the family, in recent years it has also happened that the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, took up her personal rifle and took advantage of it to hunt pheasants and rabbits within the estate.