Every family embodies different traditions for the holidays — especially when it comes to food. One crew may serve a giant roasted ham, while another may pride themselves on a piping hot dish of lasagna. Well, even the royal family has their own Christmas customs, but their holiday table isn't as riveting as you may think.
Each holiday season, the royal family travels to Sandringham, a residence of the bloodline in Norfolk, England, where the Christmas festivities take place. The tradition of heading out to the estate has been in place since 1988, but for the past two years, Queen Elizabeth II chose to remain in Winsdor for the holidays as a precaution of the ongoing pandemic. This Christmas will be the first holiday celebrated without her, and King Charles III will be taking over the role of giving the annual holiday speech for the very first time.
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Aside from the Queen's devastating absence, the menu for the occasion will likely remain the same. According to a piece by MyLondon, former royal chef Darren McGrady disclosed that the family typically dines on a larger lunch of lobster and salad after church. Dinner is as traditional as it gets, with a feast comprised of turkey, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and vegetables.
McGrady also reported to Hello! Magazine that the family begins the holiday with a full English breakfast, so there is certainly no shortage of delicious food throughout the day.
While the final guest list is uncertain, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be spending the holiday in California with their children, likely due to the buzz around their recent documentary. It is also rumored that King Charles has extended an invite to Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew's ex-wife who has not attended a celebration since their split 30 years ago.
Maybe all the drama will be discussed over this year's turkey dinner. Ah, the royals: They're just like us.