Innholdsfortegnelse for Royals at Christmas i The Royal Family Souvenir Series

Welcome to this special festive issue of our Royal Family series, where we take a look at how our favourite family celebrates this magical time of year. Inside you’ll find some of the most beautiful images spanning decades of royal history, showing that while times have most certainly changed, family is truly at the heart of Christmas for the Royals. There will be an exciting new guest at the Sandringham estate this year – where the close family enjoys the festive period – as baby Archie, the first child born to Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will be enjoying his first Christmas. We’re sure his older cousins will show him the ropes when it comes to decorating the Christmas tree together on 24 December, while everyone…

The Royal Christmas Message is broadcast on 25 December by the reigning monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, a tradition that was started by her grandfather, King George V, who read it live on the radio in 1932. Since that time, the Royal Christmas message has become an anticipated part of the Christmas Day celebrations for many people both in the UK and across the world. The Christmas Message typically reflects on major events from the past year, focusing on the UK and Commonwealth, as well as the Queen’s own milestones. She will also provide her own reflections and feelings on what Christmas means to her. The speech itself is written by the Queen, usually with the help of her husband, Prince Philip, meaning that the Christmas Message is one of…

That time between Christmas and New Year when we forget what day it is and all manner of routine goes out of the window… pâté and Pringles for breakfast? Go on then. While this may be what us mere mortals get up to, surely things aren’t the same for the Royal Family… We can’t quite imagine the Queen spending days on end wearing reindeer-printed pyjamas and binging on Netflix, so what do they do instead? Outdoor pursuits are the name of the game for the Royal Family. Traditionally, they take part in a pheasant shoot on Boxing Day, but there is also plenty of walking and horse riding around the Sandringham Estate to be enjoyed, too. This is, of course, all taken in after a hearty breakfast – apparently kedgeree,…

Members of the Royal Family are tasked with helping the Queen to fulfil her national duties. They do this by carrying out public and community work and, between them, attending more than 2,000 official engagements across the UK and the world each year. The Queen’s closest family – her children, her grandchildren, and their spouses – undertake official royal duties where she is not able to be present in person, including State responsibilities and other public appearances. They will also support the Queen at receptions, banquets and garden parties to ensure that her guests are made to feel welcome. Of course, during December in the run up to Christmas, there are many official duties where the presence of the Royal Family is required. In much the same way as our…

As you can imagine, family is important to the Royals and Christmas is no exception. The Queen spends Christmas itself at Sandringham, her Norfolk estate, along with close members of her family. This includes her own children, grandchildren and their spouses, and her great grandchildren. Of course, that’s quite a house full, so she also hosts a Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace for extended family on around 19 December, ensuring the chance for everyone to enjoy some time together. The Royals exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, which are reportedly inexpensive and rather jokey. However, Princess Diana didn’t get the memo in 1981, her first royal Christmas, and bought cashmere jumpers for everyone. According to The Telegraph, Kate reportedly bought Harry a ‘grow your own girlfriend’ kit back when he was…

These days, no Christmas celebration is complete without a decorated tree taking centre stage, and royal residences are no exception. It is thought that Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III, introduced the tradition of the Christmas tree to the Royal Family. However, it was Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s delight for the trees that sparked their popularity across the country; the Queen and King were the trendsetters of their time and the public admired and emulated many of their customs. Over the years, we have often seen images of Christmas trees within Windsor Castle, or members of the Royal Family admiring or adding the final touches to beautifully decorated festive trees. The trees at Buckingham Palace, of which there are several, are all grown on the Queen’s own estate,…

Christmas is celebrated very traditionally by the Royal Family and, like most families, they have their own customs. Since 1988, the family have spent Christmas and new year at Sandringham House, the Queen’s country estate in Norfolk. Every year, the Queen makes her way there by train to King’s Lynn station in Norfolk, hiring an entire carriage. She usually heads to the estate around 20 December, while the rest of the family will join her on Christmas Eve. Understandably, the Queen is not able to host the full Royal Family at Sandringham, so she holds a festive lunch a week beforehand in order to celebrate with her wider, extended relatives. Christmas Eve On Christmas Eve, Princes William and Harry like to play a game of football on the Sandringham Estate…