How the Queen is spending her first Christmas Day with out Prince Philip

This Christmas, the Queen is celebrating her first festive vacation since her husband, Prince Philip, handed away in April.

Whereas the annual pre-Christmas lunch for prolonged members of the family was cancelled this week as a result of speedy unfold of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, the Queen remains to be anticipated to rejoice the vacation with some members of her household — however not at her Sandringham Property as per custom.

Earlier this week, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Her Majesty will spend Christmas and New 12 months at Windsor Fortress as a substitute of travelling to her house in Norfolk because the household often would.

On 23 December, Clarence Home confirmed that the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall might be with the Queen at Windsor on Christmas Day this 12 months.

The choice is alleged to be a precautionary method, after the Queen suffered a well being setback in October. The royal household is predicted to go to the Queen at Windsor the place Covid-friendly pointers might be adopted.

That is the second 12 months in a row the Queen has spent Christmas at Windsor Fortress, as she and Prince Philip remoted there as England was put into lockdown final Christmas.

However what does a typical Christmas appear to be for the royal household? Right here’s what the Windsor’s often stand up to over the festive interval…

Driving house for Christmas

First off, the Queen heads to Sandringham per week earlier than the precise day. Somewhat than take the dearer personal royal prepare from London, the Queen prefers to take over a carriage of a standard scheduled King’s Cross to King’s Lynn prepare — one thing she’s usually been pictured doing.

As soon as there, the members of the family who’re invited to affix them arrive on Christmas Eve — with every unit allotted a particular time to reach as Her Majesty doesn’t need everybody turning up directly.

In line with Tatler, arrival instances replicate standing throughout the household, with junior members arriving first and probably the most senior members final.

Royal biographer, Ingrid Seward admitted the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, was “terrified” of her first royal Christmas. 

Festive footy and presents

In line with royal Christmas traditions, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, and Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry (earlier than he moved to the US) would usually play a really aggressive sport of Christmas Eve soccer in opposition to the workers at Sandringham. Principally they play on opposing groups, however on occasion they play on the identical aspect.

After kicking up a sweat the royals adhere to a German Christmas custom launched by Prince Albert, by exchanging their presents on Christmas Eve.

The official Royal web site states: “On Christmas Eve, the royal household lay out their presents on trestle tables and can change their items at teatime.”

All members of The Royal Family additionally obtain Christmas presents from the Queen, with Her Majesty personally handing out items to some members of The Royal Family at Buckingham Palace and at Windsor Fortress.  

Christmas Eve feast

The complete household sit down for a proper Christmas Eve dinner, the place all company are anticipated to put on black-tie or night robes. 

In line with the Channel 5 documentary, it is a six-course, candle-lit meal, with the menu usually written in French.

For dessert, former royal chef Darren McGrady mentioned the household would tuck into a conventional Yuletide Log coated in a chocolate ganache because the Queen “loves chocolate.”

Christmas morning

Like most of us, the Queen is up on the daybreak on Christmas Day, however to not rip open her presents.

Yearly Her Majesty is pushed to St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham — a rustic church visited by the Queen’s nice nice grandmother, Queen Victoria — to obtain Communion privately.

At 11am sharp, the remainder of the crew be part of her and numerous thought goes into Her Majesty’s Christmas outfit.

In line with Angela Kelly, the Queen’s official dresser who revealed a e-book on the topic in 2019, The Different Aspect of the Coin: The Queen, The Dresser and the Wardrobe, there are a number of outfit adjustments that happen on Christmas Day — and the preparations start months prematurely.

Within the e-book, Kelly reveals: “The Queen is simply as busy as she could be in London, with extra company to entertain.

“There could also be a number of outfit adjustments in at some point – it could possibly be as many as 5 and even as much as seven, though that’s uncommon – relying on the variety of engagements, in addition to the climate and temperature, which might change so shortly round Sandringham.”

Christmas lunch match for a Queen

Christmas Day wouldn’t be the identical and not using a massive lunch, and the royals are not any totally different.

Their turkey dinner inevitably consists of shrimp or lobster salad starter, adopted by, after all, roasted turkey and all of the trimmings.

For pudding it’s a conventional Christmas pudding with brandy butter and — persevering with the custom from her father, King George VI and her grandfather, George V – The Queen additionally offers Christmas puddings to her workers. 

In line with the official royal web site, about 1,500 Christmas puddings paid for by the Queen (by way of the Privy Purse) are distributed to workers all through the Palaces, together with the Courtroom Put up Workplace and the Palace police. Every pudding is accompanied by a greeting card from the Queen, which is hand-signed.

The Queen’s Speech

The Queen’s Christmas Message, which is broadcast to the 52 states within the Commonwealth, has been a operating custom for 88 years.

Again when it originated in 1932, it was known as the King’s Christmas Message after King George V, who was the primary monarch to broadcast this speech on the radio.

The speech is now pre-recorded just a few weeks earlier than Christmas and televised yearly at 3pm on the BBC, ITV, Sky 1 and Sky Information.

Even the royal household will sit down to look at Her Majesty’s message on the tv, adopted by charades and celebration video games.

The massive Boxing Day shoot

It’s a divisive occasion that’s a long-standing custom for the royal household.

On Boxing Day every year, the royals collect for the annual Boxing Day pheasant shoot on the Norfolk property.