Royals' Christmas guest list as family unite at Sandringham for biggest-ever festive gathering
When it comes to Christmas, the royals are known for their various traditions. From their quirky gifts to their Christmas Eve present exchange, the family are like any other and have their own special ways to celebrate the festive season.
And one such way that the royals tend to celebrate Christmas is by heading to Sandringham in Norfolk to spend the festivities together. Over the years, members of the wider family have joined the monarch at Sandringham and in times gone by, the likes of the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and King Charles and Queen Camilla have been seen heading to the annual Christmas Day church service.
This year, Prince William has given a glimpse inside the family’s celebrations and has revealed that he’ll be spending Christmas with 45 relatives. Speaking at an event for families of 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment, he explained how he was in “no way” ready for the festive period.
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“‘Am I ready for Christmas? No, no way am I ready’,” he told one family. Meanwhile, while discussing the festivities with other attendees, he explained how he was looking forward to spending time with 45 family members “all in one room”, though added that they’re “normally spread out”.
While the guest list for the big day hasn’t been confirmed, Queen Camilla’s son Tom Parker Bowles has revealed that he will be there for the first time. “My mum said, “I’d love you to come, I haven't had Christmas with you for a long time.” It has been a hell of a two years for them,” he told The Telegraph, adding that recent events have made him “more conscious” of “mortality”.
As well as Tom, the MailOnline reports that other people on the guest list could include Princess Anne and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence. Her son Peter Phillips and his daughters Savannah and Isla could make an appearance too, as could Zara and Mike Tindall and their three children.
As in previous years, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their children Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex could be in attendance, as well as Prince Andrew and his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
However, two people thought to be absent from the gathering are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who now reside in Montecito, California. With a Christmas in California likely on the cards again this year, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond exclusively told OK! what the pair’s festivities could look like.
“I think there is still a lot of the child in Harry as he was always the playful, mischievous one - and I’m sure he throws himself into Christmas fun with Archie and Lilibet,” she said.
“Estranged as Harry and Meghan are from so many members of their respective families, Christmas must be more about friends than family. But Doria is a constant in their lives, and Meghan spoke recently about how she loved having her mum nearby.”
