Why The Royal Family Won’t Open Their Presents On Christmas Day
Princess Charlotte and Princes George and Louis won’t be opening their presents on Christmas Day this year, or on any other. The royal family doesn’t ever open presents on Christmas Day, which dates back to old German holiday traditions.
Along with the rest of the royal family, Kate Middleton and Prince William’s three children will be tearing into their holiday gifts on Christmas Eve. This is still a common practice in Germany, which is where the royal family traces its roots, according to Express.
The royals will be opening their gifts at teatime, so they’ll be ripping into the wrapping paper from 3 to 5 p.m. London time on Christmas Eve.
The family will be spending the Christmas and New Year holidays at the Queen’s royal residence in Norfolk, Sandringham House, another long-standing tradition.
In honor of Princes Charles' 70th birthday, the royal family just released these two portraits of his whole family, taken in the garden of Clarence House. ?? ?
?:@ChrisJack_Getty pic.twitter.com/XjfhXYUip8
— InStyle (@InStyle) November 13, 2018
The whole family, including Queen Elizabeth, will attend church services on the morning of Christmas Day. Crowds will gather outside St. Mary Magdalene Church to see them enter and leave the building.
So far, none of William and Kate’s children have gone to the Christmas service. Young George is 5-years-old this year, so he may make his first appearance at the church.
Meghan Markle has already attended church with the royal family, as she went with Prince Harry to last year’s event. This year, royal watchers say that Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland has been invited to join the royal family for the Christmas festivities.
No member of Kate Middleton’s family has been seen attending the Christmas Day service with the royals.
According to People, the royals don’t exchange lavish or ornate Christmas gifts. They often give each other funny gag gifts instead. For example, Kate reportedly gave Prince Harry a Grow-Your-Own-Girlfriend kit one Christmas.
Every year on Christmas Eve, Princes William and Harry play a charity soccer match on the estate, but they probably call it football.
Around 8:30 p.m. local time on Christmas Eve, the royal family will sit down together for Christmas dinner. They usually enjoy game meat such as venison or pheasant and winter vegetables.
After Christmas Day church services, the family will get together again for a more traditional holiday feast of turkey with all the fixings.
Queen Elizabeth will deliver her yearly Christmas speech around 3 p.m. sharp on Christmas Day. She traditionally writes the speech herself, and in England, it’s a must-watch event.
On the evening of Christmas Day, the royal family winds down with a buffet dinner and games like charades and jigsaw puzzles. Reportedly, Queen Elizabeth is also great at doing impressions of other heads of state, according to Good Housekeeping.
She probably does a killer Donald Trump.
