Christmas is often a time for family traditions. Whether it's decorating your home in a specific way, baking with loved ones, or heading to the pub on Christmas Eve, there's a multitude of annual festive events that bring a sense of nostalgia with them. But have you ever wondered what it's like to have a Royal Christmas? And no, we're not talking about a festive celebration fit for a king, but instead what the Royal family and their children do every year for the season.
While some of the Royal family's festive traditions [1] are pretty well-known, we're way more interested in what the adorable kids — aka Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis — get up to. We already know they write Christmas lists for Santa [2], but do they run around with corgis in the snow? Do they play boardgames with Kate Middleton? Do they do Elf on the Shelf?!
Since the Queen's passing in 2022, questions remained as to whether the Royal family would change festive plans, but it seems King Charles has adopted many of the traditions the family have been practicing for years. Keep reading to learn how the Royal littl'uns celebrate Christmas each year.
Making a List and Checking It Twice
When it comes to being naughty or nice, the Royal kids are just as dedicated to impressing Santa as regular kids are. They write letters to the big man and, in 2017, Prince William even hand delivered Prince George's note to Father Christmas while on a trip to Finland. What did George want? A police car, obviously!
A royal source told US Weekly [3] that Christmas "is their favourite time of year", and they write their lists in late November.
A Day at the Races
The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, frequently spend at least one day before Christmas at the Christmas Meeting at Ascot Racecourse with their children — James, Viscount Severn, and Lady Louise Windsor — as well as Zara Tindall's daughter, Mia. The Royal family famously attends Royal Ascot in the Summer, but the racecourse also has a Christmas racing weekend [4], which the children love to attend. They watch the horse races and participate in other festivities on the grounds.
Christmas Card Photoshoot
OK, this might be more fun for the parents, but every year there are royal portraits taken around Christmas — like Prince George's adorable pictures [5] back in 2014 — and then Christmas cards are sent out from each royal family.
Prince Harry and Meghan have followed this tradition of sending family Christmas cards with personalised portraits, but this year they opted for a photo without their kids, Archie and Lilibet. The photo was taken from the closing night of the Invictus Games and was actuallly sent out from their production company which could explain the reason their kids do not feature. Prince William and Kate's card is more of the traditional variety, with a family portrait shot in a studio.
Christmas in the Country and Santa Stockings
For Christmas, everyone goes to the country Sandringham estate in Norfolk, which is where the family celebrates most of their festive traditions.
As for the kids' Christmas stockings [6], they do that with style as well. George, Charlotte, and Louis get personalised Santa sacks that are placed on the end of their beds on Christmas Eve. When they wake up, there are presents inside them, delivered by "reindeer delivery." The princes and princess have crowns printed atop their stockings, because, you know, they're royalty.
Presents on Christmas Eve
Like most families, the Royal family exchanges gifts every year [7], but they do it on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day to honour their German heritage. While at Sandringham House in Norfolk, all of the grandchildren finish decorating the tree before opening their presents.
Prince Harry wrote in his memoir, Spare [8]: "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. 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."
When it comes to the adults, the gifts are actually joke gifts that aren't very pricey. The kids, however, get more gifts that aren't joke presents. Plus, the children open gifts from their parents once their visit to church and the lunch feast are over.
The Christmas Day Service
While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been known to split their Christmas traditions with both the royal family and the Middleton family in years gone by, going to church on Christmas Day is something they will not miss — but the location may change. When the family doesn't spend the day with the rest of the Royals, they go to Kate's family's church in Berkshire instead [9].
A Morning Service in Norfolk
Despite the fact that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge don't always attend this service with their children, the rest of the Royal family and their children attend the church of St. Mary Magdalene in Norfolk every Christmas morning. They wake up early and have a private service first, and then they go to the public service at 11 a.m. For the second ceremony, the whole family walks to the church together. We often see photos of this tradition circulating on Christmas day with the Royals dressed for church.
The King's Christmas Address
Every Christmas day, much of the country has previously gathered around their TVs to watch the annual Queen's speech. Following the death of the Queen on 8 Sept. 2022, King Charles has taken on this tradition and addresses the nation on 25 Dec. The Royals also gather to watch, including all the Royal children. According to People [10], the viewing is usually followed by doing puzzles or going outside to play.