Inside the Royal Family Christmas Traditions

The royal family Christmas will look quite different this year. Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September, the family will be celebrating without their beloved matriarch for the first time. And now that King Charles III has ascended to the throne, the monarch is planning to make a few changes to the Windsors’ holiday traditions. Here’s everything you need to know about the royals’ Christmas plans. 

The family will celebrate at Sandringham 

King Charles is carrying on a beloved tradition by gathering his family at Sandringham House, the monarch’s country estate in Norfolk. The Royal Family has celebrated at Sandringham since 1988. Due to the pandemic, this is the first Christmas at Sandringham in two years, as the late Queen stayed in Windsor in 2020 and 2021.

The guest list may include a surprising addition

Most of the king’s immediate family will join, including Queen Consort Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children. One unexpected addition to the guest list may be Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. The Duchess, a.k.a. Fergie, was banned from the family’s Christmas celebrations in 1992 when she and the prince separated (and scandalous photos of her hit the papers). The Daily Mail reports that the king may invite the duchess, along with her daughters and their families. 

Charles will prerecord his first Christmas address