Each year, the British royal family comes together for one final engagement: Christmas.
And just like many of us, the royal family have their own traditions. Some are similar and some quite different. For them, a lot of the day is still spent in the public eye. But on Christmas Eve, the family can get away and spend the holiday together in a more intimate way.
However, for certain family members, the royal traditions can mean that seeing their loved ones around the holidays isn’t at all possible.
However, they do decorate their royal residences for the public to enjoy over Christmas. For instance, in November 2025, the decorations were unveiled for St George’s Hall, the largest room in Windsor Castle. In addition to a 20-foot-high Nordmann fir tree, which was grown in Windsor Great Park, the balconies and vaulted ceilings were also decorated with garlands. Visitors to the Castle can view the decorations from 27 November until 5 January. Entry costs £1 a ticket for those on Universal Credit and other named benefits. All proceeds will go towards the Royal Collection Trust.
Speaking with People Magazine in October 2024, Queen Camilla’s son, Thomas Parker Bowles, cleared up any questions about his and other royal-adjacent individuals’ absence from the typical public program.
“We are married in, we are not the royal family”, said Thomas. He added that while he found everyone very “nice and friendly”, he and his children, for example, have their own commitments, which means the royal public program isn’t always possible to attend.
Where do the royal family spend Christmas?
Since 1988, the royal family have spent Christmas at Sandringham House. The country estate in Norfolk belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II and now belongs to King Charles.
Many royals arrive at Sandringham on December 24, just in time for a family dinner.
How does the royal family celebrate Christmas?
The royals have dinner and exchange gifts on Christmas Eve. But instead of placing the presents under a tree, they are placed on long tables and handed out during dinner. The family is said to tend to purchase each other ‘joke’ gifts, we’d love to be a fly on the wall for that!
The family also engages in another long-held tradition (which was started by Queen Elizabeth’s grandfather, King George V): the gifting of Christmas puddings and greeting cards to the staff. About 1500 puddings are distributed to workers in the palaces, Palace Police, and the Court Post Office.
On Christmas Day, the royal family attends the morning service at St Mary Magdalene in Sandringham. This is a tradition dating back to the 16th century. Onlookers usually gather outside the small country church, waiting to greet the royals in attendance.
What do the royal family eat for Christmas?
As you can imagine, a royal Christmas would include a feast fit for a King (quite literally). Royal Chef Darren McGrady once revealed, “Right before the Christmas buffet, the senior chef on duty goes into the dining room and carves the rib roast or turkey or ham, and once he’s done, Her Majesty presents the chef with a glass of whisky, and they toast.”
We assume that King Charles now fulfils that duty, though.
Other foods the royals eat on Christmas Day include lobster salad, all the trimmings to accompany the roast (like roast potatoes and stuffing), and Christmas pudding with brandy butter for dessert.
Darren also revealed one surprising tradition: the royal women and men eat breakfast separately on Christmas morning.
“On Christmas Day, the ladies generally opt for a light breakfast of sliced fruit, half a grapefruit, toast, and coffee delivered to their rooms…The male royals, meanwhile, come downstairs to the dining room for a hearty breakfast at 8:30 a.m.”
Do the royals do anything with the public over the Christmas period?
In addition to the King’s speech on Christmas, in the lead uop to the holiday various members of the royal family attend and host events for the public. For instance, the Princess of Wales, Catherine, hosts a Christmas Carol service.
In December 2025, Queen Camilla hosted the Helen and Douglas House and Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity for a special Christmas festivity at Clarence House. The celebrations included lunch, tree decorating, Santa, reindeer pulling a sleigh, and Coldstream Guards.
