Merry Christmas at Sandringham

British royals - Merry Christmas at Sandringham

The British royal family will be spendingChristmas as usual at Sandringham Castle in Norfolk. However, things will not be as stiff as you might think.

This year there are a few new features. It is the first Christmas after the coronation of King Charles III (75). However, like his mother, the monarch is sticking to a family celebration at Sandringham and this time has even invited the children and grandchildren of his wife Camilla (76). As a result, the family will probably have to move their feast from the dining room to the larger ballroom. However, the royals will probably stick to cherished traditions in a larger setting - and really enjoy themselves again after the mourning period last year.

William plays soccer

Royal expert Jennie Bond revealed in the British "OK!" magazine that the royals like to get moving on Christmas Eve: "Sometimes there's a soccer match with some of the staff on Christmas Eve." There is certainly enough space on the 20,000-hectare estate. The heir to the throne William (42) in particular is considered to be soccer mad and is sure to kick a ball or two with his three children.

Kate loves drinking games

Fun games are also on the program. Jennie Bond explained: "The family loves games of all kinds, cards and charades are popular." Mike Tindall (45) revealed in a podcast in the fall that William's wife Kate (42) loves the drinking game "Beer Pong", in which table tennis balls are thrown into drinking cups. The opponent has to drink every cup they hit.

Royal expert Phil Dampier told The Sun that Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) loved to play with her family. She was particularly fond of charades. "The late Queen was brilliant at impersonating world leaders like Boris Yeltsin and US presidents." It is safe to assume that her son, who has already shown off his acting talent on the university stage, will surely put on something similar.

Camilla as Christmas planner

Meanwhile, Camilla appears to be responsible for planning the entire festivities. Historian Kate Williams emphasized in the documentary "Sandringham: The King At Christmas" that the Queen used to oversee the planning as monarch and wife in one. Now the duties would probably be split: "Now Charles is the king and Camilla is the hostess, so I suspect Camilla will be the Christmas planner."

Joke gifts

However, one issue has long been settled: unlike you might expect from the royals, they don't go for classy gifts, but for the funniest ones possible. Professor Williams explained: "They don't give big gifts - in fact, the funnier the better." She revealed: "One year William and Kate bought Harry a set to wax his own girlfriend, the Duke of Edinburgh got a light-up pepper mill and the Queen got an apron. Princess Diana was famously surprised by this when she first joined the family - no one had told her not to spend a lot of money, and she bought Princess Anne a beautiful cashmere sweater." Let's hope that Camilla's relatives are made aware of this beforehand. In contrast to the joke gifts for the adults, the children can look forward to real presents.

Five formal outfit changes

When it comes to the royal family's wardrobe, things are more serious. According to designer Jacques Azagury, who once designed fashion for Princess Diana (1961-1997), the family has made at least five formal outfit changes over the course of the holidays. "Everything comes out on Christmas Eve, the tiaras, the long dresses, they pull out all the stops."

Everyone watches King Charles on television

Just like millions of households in the UK, the royals will also be watching King Charles' speech on Christmas Day. The traditional visit to the Christmas service at St. Mary Magadelene Church will also remain a firm fixture.

While last Christmas was still dominated by the mourning of Queen Elizabeth II, royal experts expect the family to return to the humorous times of Christmas this year. "I think with Charles and Camilla hosting, things will be a bit more relaxed and informal than when the late Queen was around," Jennie Bond even believes. "With lots of children under the age of ten running around, it must be like crazy chaos."