CHRISTMAS Day is, for many of us, a time when we come together with our families to feast on a giant turkey, eat cheese and chocolate and spend the evening in front of the TV.
But for one famous family, the “big day” looks very different.
According to royal expert Jennie Bond, the royal family like to do things differently, and some of the customs we might enjoy on Christmas Day are actually banned at Sandringham.
Jennie, a former royal correspondent of over 35 years, said that while King Charles has “loosened up” the Christmas Day rules since the late Queen’s passing, there are still many must dos – and must don’ts! – that the royals must adhere to.
She told Fabulous: “I can’t quite picture the royal family sprawled on settees in slippers and slouch pants, guzzling booze and chocolates like the rest of us.
“A certain degree of decorum is still required.”
Here we take a look at the nine rules of a Christmas at Sandringham…
According to Jennie, the King is a workhorse, always putting duty first, but she hopes he will take a day off at Christmas this year.
And it’s likely the rest of the family will be hoping for the same, as they are not allowed to retire to bed until the King has.
“The King often works late and he is never really off duty,” Jennie says.
“Even if he does decide to not work on Christmas Day, his body clock may be out of sync from all of the late nights he has, and he will be awake late anyway.”
While many of us take a relaxed approach to Christmas Day, lateness is frowned upon at the Norfolk estate and according to Jennie, punctuality is key.
“You don’t just turn up at Sandringham when you feel like it,” she says.
“Guests should arrive at the time they are expected, not before and not after.”
Baggy clothing and even pyjamas are often the outfits of choice for a Christmas Day food binge, but no such attire will be seen in the grounds of Sandringham.
Jennie says there is a strict dress code for the royals, and this includes on Christmas Eve.
“The royals have a black tie dinner every year on Christmas Eve, so guests should be prepared,” Jennie says.
“Then on Christmas Day, royals should be suitably dressed for church and then for lunch in the dining room.
“While this isn’t black tie, don’t expect the royals to be in loungewear!”
Contrary to what we might expect about a royal Christmas, there are no diamonds under the tree.
The family are actually known to give each other joke gifts. Kate once, when he was single, gave Harry a Grow Your Own girlfriend kit, while Princess Anne once gifted her older brother Charles a leather toilet seat.
Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales reportedly once gave his grandmother, the late Queen, a pair of slippers with her face on them.
“The name of the game is to buy cheap, witty presents,” Jennie says.
“The gifts are to make people laugh, not to be expensive.
“These gifts are opened on Christmas Eve, a German tradition the family have adhered to for many decades.”
There’s no getting out of morning mass, even if you have a Christmas Eve hangover!
All members of the royal family who are spending the festivities at Sandringham are expected to be present at the Christmas day service at St Mary Magdalene Church, which sits on the Norfolk estate.
“There’s no complaining about going to church on Christmas morning, it’s a tradition that dates back for many years,” Jennie says.
“It’s also the highlight for many people who either go to Sandringham or watch on TV who all want to see the family walking to and from the service.”
According to Mike Tindall, wife of the King’s niece Zara, there are often around 70 guests invited to Christmas lunch.
“There are seven tables and then the kiddies have their own little one in a different room.”
Former royal chef Darren McGrady, who worked for both the late Queen and Princess Diana, explained that the children “aren’t allowed to sit with the adults until they have learned the art of polite conversation.”
“Don’t suggest playing Monopoly, it’s banned!” Jennie says.
The royal expert explains “the late Queen thought it was too vicious” and instead the royals prefer a game of charades which is “a royal favourite.”
“They also play a card game called Racing Demon, which can be very intense and competitive,” she adds.
While many of us are guilty of cracking open the booze long before we’ve put the potatoes on, getting obliterated on Christmas Day is a no-no in royal households.
“You are not to get legless,” Jennie says. “The finest champagne and wines will be served, but none of the royals are heavy drinkers anyway.”
Call the Midwife, the soaps, and this year, the much awaited Gavin & Stacey Christmas special, will be on our festive watch list.
But for the royals, they will have to wait until after Christmas Day to catch up on their festive telly.
The late Queen used to allow the TV on for 10 minutes only for the family to watch her speech, but it’s believed the King is not a fan of everyone watching his, so these days the TV doesn’t go on at all on Christmas Day.
“The King likes the family to be together on Christmas day and enjoy each other’s company,” Jennie says.
“He isn’t a fan of watching TV anyway, so I doubt very much it will be on. The Queen is a huge fan of Coronation Street, but she certainly won’t be watching it on Christmas Day.
“Instead the family will be playing games and enjoying the togetherness of the day. For someone to remove themselves from the family festivities to watch TV will be seen as rude.”
EVERY year the royal family flock to Sandringham to celebrate the festive period, but it looks slightly different now Charles is on the throne.
One thing that has been different with Charles being monarch is that Camilla’s children and grandchildren have joined the royals at Sandringham for the occasion.
Although Charles and Camilla have been married since 2005, in previous years her family members did not join in the festivities at Sandringham as they are not members of the royal household.
Camilla has two children, Laura Lopes and Tom Parker-Bowles and five grandchildren named Lola, Eliza, Freddy, Gus and Louis.
