Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, and their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will reportedly forego the Queen’s annual Christmas Day festivities this year to spend the holiday with Kate’s family, the Middletons.
It’s only the second time since Kate and William got married in 2011 that the future King and his wife have broken royal tradition and decided to opt out of their annual Sandringham visit for Christmas in Bucklebury, Berkshire.
According to UK reports, like any modern family the Cambridges want to make sure their time is split equally between families and it’s believed this year Carole and Michael Middleton will be hosting the royal couple and their kids on Christmas Day.
The Cambridges’ Christmas is likely to be far less formal this year.
There will undoubtedly be a lot of hype at the Middleton’s this year, not only because it’s George and Charlotte’s first actual Christmas Day with their maternal grandparents, but also excitement surrounding Pippa’s upcoming wedding to James Matthews will likely be a hot topic of conversation.
The Middleton girls: Kate with her mother Carole and sister Pippa, whom she’ll spend Christmas with this year.
But Kate, William and the kids won’t miss out on all the royal celebrations completely. According to HELLO! the young family will likely visit the Norfolk estate at some point, perhaps Boxing Day, to spend some quality time with Prince Harry and the rest of the extended royal clan.
The Queen at her Christmas broadcast in 2015.
How the royals usually celebrate Christmas…
The royal family celebrate Christmas at Sandringham House, as opposed to Buckingham Palace with the Queen and Prince Philip typically making the annual trip by train from London a few days before.
The Queen’s Christmas Day schedule usually entails two church services on Christmas morning (one is a private family service at Church of St. Mary Magdalene, and the second is a public and more formal service just before noon). Everybody walks to church with the Queen and after the religious proceedings are over with the family gathers for a traditional turkey lunch in the in the Red Drawing Room of Sandringham before they all watch the Queen’s speech at 3pm.
2011: Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall on their way to the church for Kate’s first royal Christmas.
Meeting the crowds: Catherine accepts some flowers from a young girl.
Kate looked stunning in a burgundy coat and matching hat.
Afterward the family members go off on their favourite walks around the property – not everyone takes the same trails – and then, like most families, it’s said they gather to watch movies and play board games.
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