The British royal family are well-known for their strict adherence to tradition and when it comes to their annual Christmas celebrations, they make no exception.
Though in many ways a classic family Christmas, the royals approach the festive season in a different way than most, with the royals' continental heritage and the public desire for them to be seen at this time influencing their celebrations.
Many of today's traditions observed by the royals were started by Queen Victoria, among them being the popularization of the Christmas tree (a decoration introduced by Prince Albert), as well as the ceremony of opening gifts and gathering en masse at one of the royal residences.
Here, Newsweek looks at the royals' Christmas traditions from location to gifts and public walkabouts.
Sandringham
Though the royal family is associated with a number of grand palaces and residences around Britain, each year they choose to gather at just one to celebrate the Christmas period, Sandringham in Norfolk, a county in northeast England.
The Sandringham estate was purchased in 1862 by Queen Victoria as a wedding present for her eldest son Prince Albert Edward (later King Edward VII). When Prince Albert was alive, the queen spent her Christmases at Windsor Castle, afterwards preferring to spend them at her residence on the Isle of Wight, Osborne House.
After he moved into Sandringham with his wife, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, Edward VII spent many of his Christmases there, a tradition that was followed by his son, King George V and his son, King George VI, who enjoyed long winter stays at the residence with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two children, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret.
Though Elizabeth II spent some of her Christmases at Windsor, she spent the majority of them at Sandringham, inviting her close family to spend the three days of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day (December 26) with her.
Sandringham is one of the private residences of the monarch, meaning that it is private property passed down from one royal to another and does not belong to the government, unlike Windsor and Buckingham Palace.
In 2022, following Elizabeth's death, Sandringham was inherited by King Charles III and he has continued the royal tradition of using the home at Christmas. The Prince and Princess of Wales also spend a lot of time in the area. Their country residence, Anmer Hall, is located on the outskirts of the Sandringham Estate, it was given to them as a wedding present by the late queen.
Gift Giving
When it comes to gifts, the royals follow the German tradition of opening them on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day.
In his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry provided a unique insight into the royal gift giving tradition, writing about the Sandringham opening process.
"The whole family gathered to open gifts on Christmas Eve, as always, a German tradition that survived the anglicizing of the family surname from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor," he wrote.
"We were at Sandringham in a big room with a long table covered with white cloth and white name cards. By custom, at the start of the night, each of us located our place, stood before our mound of presents. Then suddenly, everyone began opening at the same time. A free-for-all, with scores of family members talking at once and pulling at bows and tearing at wrapping paper."
The royals reportedly do not spend great sums of money on one another's gifts, opting instead for gag presents or useful objects.
In his memoir, Harry revealed that one year his great-aunt, Princess Margaret, gave him a biro ballpoint pen, something he reflected on as being "cold-blooded."
Church
On Christmas Day, the monarch and senior members of the royal family attend a service at the St Mary Magdalen Church in the grounds of the Sandringham estate which attracts a regular crowd of royal watchers and local community members.
The royals are photographed walking to the church from the big house and then following the service, traditionally stop to meet and speak with members of the public who have waited to see them.
After the brief walkabout, the royals then return to the house for their Christmas lunch.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more
