Every family has their own traditions they enjoy keeping up at Christmas time – and the royals are no exception.
Before they head to Sandringham for their main celebrations later this week, the Firm also usually enjoys a huge Christmas lunch and get-together in the run-up to the big day itself.
It used to see the late Queen throw a huge Christmas bash for all her loved ones at Buckingham Palace – with about 70 people attending 2019’s festivities.
Among them are royal family members that don’t usually spend Christmas at Sandringham – so it gives everybody a chance to catch up.
This year’s event, the first hosted by King Charles, is taking place today – but this time at Windsor Castle.
The event is private so no pictures are released from inside, however I’m A Celeb’s Mike Tindall, who is married to the King’s niece Zara Tindall, previously dished on the event
And even though children such as Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are invited to the event, they don’t sit with the other royals – instead, they have their own room, where they enjoy their Christmas meal.
In 2019, former rugby player Mike spoke about the celebrations on his rugby podcast, and shared a few exciting details.
His co-stars James Haskell and Alex Payne asked which of the seven tables he sat.
They asked: “Do you find yourself upgrading every year and getting closer to the main table or are you off out the back?
“Is there a promotion and relegation based on the year’s performance? Because if there is I imagine you’re pretty much sitting on the right-hand side of Her Majesty.”
Mike stayed quiet throughout the jokes, but later added: “I was on Prince Charles’s table, it was lovely.”
He then divulged that the royal little ones, including his children Mia, Lena and Lucas, have their own table in a separate room away from the adults.
He said: “This is the family lunch, there were seven tables so there must have been about 70 of us there.
“The kiddies have their own little one in a different room.”
As senior members of the family return to tradition and come together at Sandringham for Christmas, the younger generation are expected to step into the limelight.
The four-year-old is set to join the family’s traditional Christmas D ay walk to church for the first time.
The mischievous Prince tickled the nation with his antics at the Jubilee celebration, where snaps of him making faces and covering his ears went viral and were enjoyed worldwide.
The final decision about the important Sandringham milestone, will not be made until the day itself.
This year King Charles will make history with his first festive speech. He will be the first male monarch to address the nation on TV on Christmas Day, with a recent poll suggesting 38 per cent of the population would be tuning in.
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