The festive season approaches, and whispers of change echo through the halls of Britain’s royal residences. Kate Middleton has decided to sweep through long-held traditions, promising a Christmas celebration that may look quite different from those of years past.
For centuries, British Royal Family Christmas festivities have been steeped in tradition, from formal dinners to religious observances. However, as the younger generation of royals takes on more prominent roles, there’s a growing push to update these customs for the modern era.
This year’s royal Christmas is set against a backdrop of personal challenges and global changes. The past months have seen significant health concerns within the family, with both King Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales, facing medical treatments. These personal struggles have reportedly influenced the family’s perspective on the importance of togetherness and simplicity during the holiday season, as Kate has decided she wants a different Christmas.
Kate Middleton is reimagining the Royals’ Christmas traditions
The current Christmas customs at Sandringham have been vividly described in Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, where he painted a remarkable portrait of family members being ushered into the ballroom. A long table covered in white tablecloths would be set up with each person’s gifts stacked in piles, complete with name cards. Harry even shared an amusing anecdote about receiving “a cold-blooded gift” from Princess Margaret – a Biro pen with “a tiny rubber fish wrapped around it.” Things won’t be like this in 2024.
“Kate has always found the presents on Christmas Eve thing weird. It is definitely going to be got rid of when they are officially running things,” reveals a close friend of the Prince and Princess of Wales to The Daily Beast. The source adds that while some traditions may continue at Sandringham, “everything is going to be much more relaxed and have a middle-class flavor at Anmer Hall. You can bet your bottom dollar they will be doing proper presents for each other and the kids there on Christmas Day.”
The transformation extends beyond gift-giving traditions. A former courtier who worked with William and Kate disclosed to the outlet that the couple plans to take to social media over the holidays, sharing moments of their family Christmas. “A little social media of the family eating chocolate and watching TV would be a very effective way of showing how normal Christmas is at Anmer Hall compared to what we hear about at Sandringham,” the source explained. That’s a huge change, as making a phone call public reportedly broke the bond between Prince Harry and King Charles. As a friend of the Waleses perfectly puts it, William is “enthusiastic about embracing Kate’s much more normal conception of Christmas,” adding that while “it’s always been a slightly covert, rival Christmas party at their house, it’s going to be much more obvious this year. If they post pictures, it’ll be an official coup attempt.”
A communications executive who previously worked with the Wales couple provided insight into their motivation for change.Â
“William and Kate have made an incredibly successful brand out of being normal and boring, but the crazy royal customs at Christmas threaten all that. It’s particularly damaging to their reputation because Christmas is the one time that everybody in the whole country actually pays attention to the royals, and it risks getting overshadowed by stories about these strange, elitist, aristocratic habits.”
While some traditions remain firmly in place, such as the Boxing Day shoot and the Christmas Day walk to church, the overall tone of royal festivities appears to be shifting. The coming holiday season may well serve as a preview of the more approachable and contemporary monarchy that William and Catherine envision for the future.
Published: Nov 30, 2024 09:57 am