What do the royals do at Christmas? What Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have planned

7 December 2019, 14:43

There's no place like home for the holidays and the royals have their traditions to gather together and celebrate Christmas.

The Royal Family usually spends Christmas and New Year at Sandringham House, the Queen's country estate in Norfolk. 

During the 1960s the family spent many Christmases at Windsor Castle, however since 1988, when the castle was being rewired, royal Christmases returned to Sandringham.

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The Queen and other members of the Royal Family attend the morning service on Christmas Day at St Mary Magdalene, a country church that dates back to the 16th century. However much of the festivities starts the day before.

The family honour their German heritage by swapping gifts on Christmas Eve, and as it's hard to buy for the family who have everything, they stick to joke presents, which are exchanged after a 4pm afternoon tea.

At 8:15pm it's a black tie dinner, before heading to bed ready for a busy Christmas Day, which kicks off with a fry up at 8:30.

Bizarrely, after having Christmas lunch at 1, the family will sit down and watch the Queen's speech on TV at 3pm.

Then it's a game of charades and a cold cuts buffet at 8:15pm.

Read more: Most bonkers gifts given to the Royal Family

What Kate Middleton and Prince William have planned?

Will and Kate are expected to be spending Christmas Day with the royal side of the family this year and not with her parents, the Middletons. They traditionally spend the holiday period with William's grandparents, the Queen and Prince Philip at Sandringham.

Though they have previously broken with tradition and spent the day with Kate's parents during her first pregnancy and again when Charlotte was a baby.

Read more: One toy Kate Middleton does not allow for her children

What Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have planned?

Having announced a six-week break from royal duties this autumn, Meghan and Harry have not been carrying out any royal duties since November.

This is the first Christmas for baby Archie and with the family of three reportedly travelled to the US for Thanksgiving with Meghan's family, will stay stateside through the Christmas holiday.

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A palace spokesperson said, "having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, Their Royal Highnesses will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the Duchess' mother Doria Ragland.

"This decision is in line with precedent set previously by other members of the Royal Family, and has the support of Her Majesty The Queen."