King Charles replaces Prince Harry 'as Royal Family joker' for Christmas tradition
Gift-giving can be a challenging affair when your nearest and dearest already own priceless jewels, designer clothes and luxury cars. So instead of splashing out on expensive, over-the-top items, the royals don’t take seasonal gifting seriously.
In fact, the funnier or sillier the present, the better. “It’s a long-running tradition for the family to exchange joke gifts at Christmas, so there’s always a lot of laughter at Sandringham,” royal commentator Duncan Larcombe tells OK! “In the past, Prince Harry used to be the biggest joker, but now I imagine it’s Charles, who has a very strong sense of humour.”
Over the years, the joke presents have reportedly included a leather toilet seat given by Princess Anne to her older brother King Charles, while Kate is said to have cheekily given Harry a “grow your own girlfriend kit”.
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Harry, meanwhile, is said to have presented the late Queen with a shower cap which had “Ain’t life a b***h” written on it!
“Sometimes we imagine the royals are all very serious, but they like a good giggle like most families,” says Duncan. “Charles once said having a sense of humour is what keeps him sane, and so sharing joke presents helps lighten the atmosphere when things can otherwise be quite formal.
“I think the King will definitely be the one playing pranks and messing about with the grandchildren at Christmas. And you can imagine that Princess Anne is a bit like the naughty auntie, with everyone wondering what she might say or do next!”
The daft present-buying has spanned generations. Diana, Princess of Wales, reportedly once gave her sister-in-law, Sarah, Duchess of York, a garish leopard print bath mat.
More recently, the Duchess of Sussex gave Harry a spoon engraved with the words “cereal killer” during her first Christmas with the royals in 2017.
Still, sometimes it can feel safer to err on the side of caution, and in 2016 Kate, the future Princess of Wales, gave the Queen a jar of her own homemade chutney.
Made using a recipe passed down by her grandmother, it hit the right note, being both personal and practical. “I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table,” said a relieved Kate.
Unlike most Britons, the royal family have a long tradition of exchanging presents on Christmas Eve, rather than on Christmas Day, laying out their gifts on tables and exchanging them at teatime. The custom is a nod to their German heritage, as in Germany – and in many parts of Europe – gifts are opened on the 24th.
“It’s a tradition that dates back to Queen Victoria,” says former royal butler Grant Harrold. “They have afternoon tea in the White Drawing Room at Sandringham, which is an absolutely beautiful room, and then they exchange silly gifts. That’s it, done.”
However, Grant says that more significant presents – especially gifts for the children – are likely to be exchanged on Christmas morning.
“The royals are trying to do it the way everyone else does it,” he reveals. “So they’re keeping their own traditions going, with a modern twist as well. It’s a nice way to do it.”
The late Queen had a huge list of presents to contend with, including for her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She would reportedly have dozens of potential presents brought to her, so that she could make her selection.
In 1955, she was snapped leaving London department store Harrods after a spot of Christmas shopping with her cousin-in-law, the Duchess of Kent. She was also a visitor to shops close to Balmoral, her Scottish residence.
“Often you’d see the Queen shopping in nearby Ballater,” says Grant. “That said, if a royal can’t go to a shop in person, they’ve got teams to help them and it wouldn’t be unusual for someone to say to a butler, ‘Would you mind going and getting this gift for me?’”
One royal who is a fan of picking out items herself is Kate. “I know for a fact that she goes shopping in person and it wouldn’t surprise me if she was seen in Harrods or Fortnum & Mason,” says Grant.
But has a royal family member ever made a festive gift gaffe? That unfortunate accolade goes to poor Diana.
Unaware of the custom for comical presents, on her first Christmas at Sandringham she gave her sister-in-law, Anne, a gorgeous cashmere sweater. What did Diana receive in return? A novelty toilet roll holder.
