The Royal Christmas 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

[georgiea]

Originally Posted by muriel

Query whether the venue for the royal christmas celebrations would shift from Sandringham to Windsor, or even Balmoral?

Balmoral, I think, and traditional, less formality with organic foods. I think already this year Prince Charles and the Duchess are in Scotland on the weekends.

The Duchess of Cornwall's children and grandchildren will be invited to the royal Christmas. I think Prince Charles with let his sons spend time with their in-laws. What I mean a year with him and then a year with the in-laws.

[BellaFay]

Originally Posted by scooter

Wait! Are you saying her children and grandchildren have not been invited to Christmas since C and C married?! Wow! That would not be very nice. What ever transpired in the past, they are now part of the family. It would be rude not to invite Camilla's family, IMO. Why would they not be invited?

The Queen could easily have invited Camilla's children and grandchildren to stay on the estate at Sandringham, as she has done with the divorced Duchess of York and with the widower father of the Countess of Wessex, but she chooses not to, which is why Camilla always disappears to Gloucestershire on Boxing Day.

[BellaFay]

Originally Posted by muriel

Query whether the venue for the royal christmas celebrations would shift from Sandringham to Windsor, or even Balmoral?

Until about the late 1980s the royal christmas was always celebrated at Windsor and only New Year was celebrated at Sandringham, but for some reason I can't remember it was moved one year and they never returned to Windsor.

[scooter]

Why would the Queen choose not to invite Camilla's family?

[BellaFay]

Originally Posted by blondie28

Charles thought Sarah was great fun and that made Diana jealous. I know Sarah has said that after her divorce Charles has just excluded her, but I know they got on extremely well during her marriage. I don't think he will have any desire to see him at XMas.

Sarah also credited Prince Charles in her autobiography with saving her life by preventing her from drowning in a mountain stream when she was concussed after a skiing accident in about 1988. But nowadays she seems to have forgotten that incident as it doesn't fit in with her marketing of herself in the States.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by scooter

Why would the Queen choose not to invite Camilla's family?

Only the immediate royal family are typically at the Christmas table at Sandringham. Camilla's children are not grand children of the Queen, so they get an oppotunity to spend time with their father or their respective in laws. Camilla typically leaves after lunch on christmas day to spend the evening and boxing day with the rest of her family.

[Menarue]

Originally Posted by scooter

Why would the Queen choose not to invite Camilla's family?

Perhaps she doesn´t want to.

[MARG]

Originally Posted by iowabelle

. . .. . After all, Christmas is about family, and your children are the stars. You'd especially want the little ones to feel free to enjoy themselves, rather than having to sit neatly with their hands on their laps and NOT TOUCHING ANYTHING.

I remember one of the royal documentaries where andrew related how they used to race their peddle cars down the halls with more than a few "collisions with walls, furniture, etc. Seeing all the priceless furniture with artworks on top made me wince, and then I laughed. Contrary to popular belief, they seem to have had a pretty "normal" childhood.

Originally Posted by muriel

I think the York girls would continue to attend, . . . . . . don't think the girls are particularly close to Will and Harry.

I was enchanted by the family dynamics at Peter's wedding. All the cousins seemed to be in cahoots and up to all sorts of "family" mischief. Harry was snapped whispering to one of the girls on the steps of the church after the wedding. One of the York girls did a reading in the service and many commented on this forum that they hadn't realised the families were "that" close! Similarly, Beatrice and Eugenie both frequent the same social cirlces and nightclubs as the Wales.

I have a feeling that Christmas's could change dramatically in the near future. With the world (according to US econonomists) heading into an even worse depression than the last "Great Depression", I have a feeling that jetting to the Bahama's, Africa, or even the Ski fields of Europe, would not be received very well by the public at large. That being the case, we could see a larger, "family" oriented Christmas making it's debut in the very near future.

[Charlotte1]

Originally Posted by BellaFay

Until about the late 1980s the royal christmas was always celebrated at Windsor and only New Year was celebrated at Sandringham, but for some reason I can't remember it was moved one year and they never returned to Windsor.

Up until the mid 1960s Royal Christmases were celebrated at Sandringham, but in the mid 1960s there was something of a royal baby boom. There was more room at Windsor and so Christmas celebrations were moved there. After quite some time and some downsizing of who got invited to Christmas celebrations they were moved back to Sandringham. The extended family, the Kents and Gloucesters don't get invited to Sandringham anymore, instead the Queen has a Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace ( it was Wed Dec 17th this year) for the extended family and only immediate family go to Sandringham. At one stage too Princess Margaret's children only went to Sandringham every 2 years, not every year. Last year both of Princess Anne's children had Christmas with their partner's families and didn't go to Sandringham so they'll probably be there this year. Peter and Autumn Philips were seen going to Wednesday's lunch so they are back in the UK for Christmas.

[muriel]

Originally Posted by Charlotte1

Peter and Autumn Philips were seen going to Wednesday's lunch so they are back in the UK for Christmas.

Do you have any pictures of the Wednesday christmas lunch? I have not seen any yet

[CasiraghiTrio]

After reading this thread, it seems to me that the royal family at Christmas faces the same kind of challenging issues that most modern families face at such times. In the WWII years, it was so easy. There was the King, Queen, and the two princesses with their dogs. Even into the 50s and 60s, it was still straightforward: the Queen, Queen Mother, Queen's husband and children, Queen's sister and her husband and kids. But then something happened. Divorces, remarriages, kids from other marriages who want to spend Christmas with their non-royal side of the family. The "family" is now a multitude of families much more complicated, diverse. It's classically illustrated in the case of the Kennedy family. When Big Joe and Rose were around and kicking, they were the Kennedys. Then Big Joe and Rose's kids grow up and marry. Their kids and grandkids are Lawfords and Shrivers and Smiths. Then even the Kennedy named kids marry Schlossbergs, Cuomos, Schwarzeneggers, etc.

I think that if Camilla's kids wanted to spend time at Sandringham with her and Charles, William and Harry, then The Queen would likely be happy to invite them for a day or two, but the case is probably as simple as: Tom and Laura prefer to spend the holidays with their dad's family or their spouses' families. And so Camilla makes time to go to them instead of them going to her. This is what most families have to do. It's impossible to see everyone you wish to see on the holidays. You try and you see who you can see, but it's all you can do, and there is always next year, we hope!!

[muriel]

You are right, it is tricky when step families are concerned. Given that the children of Charles and Camilla are not particularly close, and the Queen and the DoE are in their 80s, it makes sense not to disturb the existing Christmas routine. I think the current arrangements work well - the PB children can spend the day with their in-laws or their father if they prefer, and spend the evening and Boxing day with Camilla

[Warren]

This thread began in the future and is now in the present. It has also changed focus from Charles and Camilla to the Royal Family generally.
I'm renaming it "The Royal Christmas: Present and Future" and moving the thread from the POW subforum to the general British area.

Warren
British Forums moderator

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by CasiraghiTrio

This is what most families have to do. It's impossible to see everyone you wish to see on the holidays. You try and you see who you can see, but it's all you can do, and there is always next year, we hope!!

It is difficult, as you say, with extended families as much as 'ordinary' families. The perennial question your folks or mine, becomes your folks, your kids or mine. And sometimes it is absolutely wonderful just to have them all to your home!

[pamk]

Originally Posted by BellaFay

Until about the late 1980s the royal christmas was always celebrated at Windsor and only New Year was celebrated at Sandringham, but for some reason I can't remember it was moved one year and they never returned to Windsor.

There was the horrible fire at Windsor Castle in 1992 which necessitated the moving of Christmas get-togethers to Sandringham and the change has stuck. There is probably more privacy at Sandringham, also.

[Charlotte1]

Originally Posted by muriel

Do you have any pictures of the Wednesday christmas lunch? I have not seen any yet

The Christmas lunch is always private inside of Buckingham Palace, although one year (2004?) some footage of the present giving part was included as part of the Queen's Christmas Day message. It was a bit where the Queen handed a present to one year old Lady Louise and said "say thank you to Grannie"

There was no media outside Buckingham Palace so no photos of royals arriving, just ardent royalty watchers.

[Charlotte1]

Originally Posted by pamk

There was the horrible fire at Windsor Castle in 1992 which necessitated the moving of Christmas get-togethers to Sandringham and the change has stuck. There is probably more privacy at Sandringham, also.

Christmas celebrations were moved back to Sandringham well before the fire of 1992. The Queen's immediate family were celebrating Christmas at Sandringham during the 1980's Diana's Squiggygate tape was made at Sandringham during the christmas/new year celebrations of 1989.

[Warren]

A very gossipy piece by Richard Kay and Geoffrey Levy on Christmas at Sandringham.
Since Kay has been out of the royal loop for quite a while some of it may relate to Christmases past, but since we have no way of knowing what's true today and what's not (if it ever was), take it at face value.
The headline is somewhat overstated (no "rancour" or "sour grapes" of note to be found in the article), but an entertaining read nonetheless.
There's a snippet about Lady Louise practicing her deep curtseys to a statue of Queen Victoria.

Mail Online, 23 December 2008

Worried about the in-laws? Spare a thought for the royals - whose festive lunch comes with rancour and vintage sour grapes | Mail Online

Who'll be there
The Queen and Prince Philip
Charles & Camilla
William & Harry
Princess Anne & Tim Laurence
Prince Andrew
Beatrice & Eugenie
Sophie & Edward and James & Louise
Peter & Autumn Phillips
Viscount Linley & Serena and Charles & Margarita Armstrong-Jones
Lady Sarah & Daniel and Samuel & Arthur Chatto

(25 in total - 19 adults, 6 children)

[laduchesse]

BBC has a Christmas Day article on the Royals, including a video of them leaving church: BBC NEWS | UK | Royals gather for Christmas Day .

Getty images of the royal family leaving Christmas service: Getty Images - Unsupported browser detected .

[Ducii]

Nice video. William has beard. I think he looks good, but I wasn't sure at first if it was William or not