POPSUGAR UK

5 Royal Family Mother's Day Traditions You Probably Have Too, and 1 You Definitely Don't

06/05/2019 - 12:55 PM

Mother's Day [1] is on May 12 this year, but for our friends across the pond, it's already come and gone (it was on March 31 in the UK). And since the royal family [2] is currently busy with all things royal baby [3], you may not have noticed their very low-key celebrations.

In the UK, Mother's Day [4] is traditionally known as Mothering Sunday because it revolves around church. And while the royals may go all out and have fancy photo ops [5] for other church holidays like Christmas, Mother's Day is a lot quieter — they usually all stay out of the public eye. On this day, they're a lot more like us! Since they already celebrated, keep reading to find out exactly what they do to get inspiration for your own mom — or "mum"!

Stay Out of the Public Eye

There actually aren't a ton of things the monarchy [7] does on this special day. In fact, more often than not, they stay out of the public eye and spend quality time with family — as they should! Last year, for example, Prince Harry brought then-fiancée Meghan Markle to see the queen [8], and they were only photographed out and about the next day, which was Commonwealth Day.

Give Flowers to Their Mums

Since the beginning of the Mothering Sunday holiday, children have given their mums flowers and small gifts, and the royal family sticks with this tradition [10]. Flowers are usually at the top of the list for all British families on this holiday, but cards and gifts have made their way into the celebration in more recent years.

Release Photos to the Public

Although this doesn't happen every year, the royal family have been known to release unseen photos [11] to the public on Mother's Day [12]. For example, Prince William and his family released an adorable family photo on Mother's Day back in 2014 when it was just little Prince George and his parents [13]. In 2018, the royal family unveiled a never-before-seen picture of Queen Elizabeth II and her family [14] — including all of her children and husband Prince Philip — at their more private residence, Frogmore, from 1965. It's basically our version of Facebook photos.

Spend Time With Their Mothers

Like all children try and do, the royal family spend time with their respective mothers on this special day. Kate Middleton has been known to spend time with her royal side of the family and then head out to Berkshire to see her own mother [15], Carole Middleton. Some of the royal family even attend events together with their moms, like Zara Tindall and Princess Anne, who love to attend any and all horse races/shows together [16] in the Spring.

Spend Time at Frogmore

While the royal family doesn't disclose where they spend time on all of their holidays, they have reportedly spent numerous special occasions at Frogmore House [17], which is where this Mother's Day [18] photo was taken many moons ago. It's known as a "favourite royal retreat," and it's where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle [19] took their engagement photos [20] and where they live [21]. This is one tradition we can't really relate to since most people don't have multiple estates!

Attend Church

You can't have Mothering Sunday without attending church. Over the years, the queen has been spotted [23] at mass at numerous locations, including churches in Sussex and Windsor, and we wouldn't expect anything less.


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.co.uk/parenting/British-Royal-Family-Mother-Day-Traditions-46111798