As the festive season approaches, new insights into the royal family’s Christmas plans reveal a big shift in traditions under King Charles’ reign.
According to former royal butler Paul Burrell – speaking on behalf of Spin Genie – Queen Camilla could spend part of the holiday away from King Charles to be with her own family.
Queen Camilla and King Charles to ‘spend time apart’ at Christmas
While Camilla will join the king and senior royals at Sandringham for the traditional Christmas Day celebrations, her afternoon plans will take her elsewhere it seems.
“This division of Christmas is becoming more and more obvious,” Paul explained. “Although Camilla will be at Sandringham, although she may well appear on the front steps of the church and walk back to the house and have Christmas lunch, as soon as lunch is over, Camilla is off.
“She goes back to Wiltshire to see her family who are not invited to Sandringham, she wants to see her grandchildren, children and their spouses. It’s a split Christmas for Camilla, just like it is for many others.”
This change reflects a more modern approach to royal Christmases. The queen will prioritise time with her biological family alongside her royal duties.
Camilla’s departure will leave King Charles alone for the latter part of Christmas Day.
“The King will be alone with a few friends on Christmas Day afternoon,” Paul revealed. “William and Kate will go back to Amner Hall and go back to their family unit and have Christmas underneath their roof, not under the roof of Sandringham.
“They’re becoming a thoroughly modern royal family and doing things more like we do them.”
Paul also noted that the traditional gathering at Sandringham has evolved.
He said: “When the late queen was there, everyone came to Sandringham to respect her wishes. It’s not like that anymore, it’s different.”
Royal family to spend Christmas at Sandringham
The royal family’s festive season at Sandringham is a grand affair, meticulously planned months in advance.
“Royal Christmases take months to plan,” Paul continued.
“Logistics, moving to Sandringham with the court taking, and with their china, silver, wine, food, as well as all their presents and all the things they want to take. They’ve got a massive house at Sandringham to decorate. This process takes months.”
Christmas dinner is a formal dinner. Turkey and all the trimmings are first served buffet-style before being plated for the royals.
Dessert is the traditional flaming Christmas pudding, with the head butler performing the ceremonial lighting.
This Christmas is the third without the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Paul – who was the late Princess Diana’s butler for a decade – reflected on how her absence will be felt.
He added: “At Christmas time we think of those who are not there, who are missing and I think this year more poignantly they will be thinking that about the late queen.
“The queen is not forgotten and when the king sits at her desk in her sitting rooms and looks out over the lawns of Sandringham, he’ll spare a thought for his mother and think, I’m in the hotseat now.”
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