King Charles 'relaxes' tradition at Sandringham for Christmas: 'It used to be a nightmare'
There could be some big changesChristmas at Sandringham will apparently look a little different this year, with King Charles reportedly relaxing some old customs.
As per tradition, the royal family will celebrate the holiday season together at their royal residence in Norfolk.
The Waleses, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their children, and Princess Anne and her family are all expected to join for the festivities.
‘Changes’ to Christmas at Sandringham
The royals’ Christmas bash has already had a bit of a shake-up, due to several notable absences.
The former Duke of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, reportedly won’t be attending, after being stripped of his titles earlier this year. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, is also said to have been struck off the guest list. As a result, the couple’s two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, are likewise rumoured to be considering staying away this year.
In addition, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expected to skip the occasion for the seventh year in a row. Queen Camilla’s children, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, who made the trip to Sandringham last year, have also ruled themselves out.
But it seems that’s not the only change. It appears we may spot a break from tradition during the annual Christmas walkabout, one of the royal family’s most cherished traditions.
Every year, the royals greet well-wishers on their walk from Sandringham House to the nearby St Mary Magdalene Church for the Christmas morning service. They are usually dressed to the nines, often donning their finest hats. However, this could now be a thing of the past, with King Charles apparently set to relax the dress code.
An inside source reportedly told Vanity Fair: “It used to be a nightmare going to Sandringham because there used to be so many outfit changes, sometimes up to six a day. But the king has relaxed that. There won’t be so many changes but everyone will wear black tie at Christmas dinner.”
King Charles’ Christmas presents
The source also discussed the royal family’s Christmas gifting traditions.
“The children’s presents go under the tree, and there are always joke presents,” they said. “One Christmas, Princess Anne once gave Charles a doormat, which got a laugh. Presents are always very practical.”
The king is also expected to treat his staff members.
“He used to give a dinner service, matching plates, side plates and so on, but he would give bits of it at a time, so you would get the full collection if you stayed in service long enough,” the source claimed.
Royal Insider has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment on this story.
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