How King Charles III’s Christmas Will Differ From Queen Elizabeth II
King Charles III is celebrating his first Christmas as the British monarch, which is also his first without his mother. After Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September, the royal family will gather for their annual celebrations at Sandringham. But the celebrations will look a little different this year. Here’s how King Charles’ Christmas will differ from Queen Elizabeth’s.
King Charles is making some major changes to the royal family’s Christmas celebration
According to Cosmopolitan, the royal family will continue the tradition that the queen began in the late 1980s and gather at the monarch’s Scottish country estate at Sandringham to celebrate Christmas.
BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond revealed that Charles’ first Christmas as host will be “less formal” and “less buttoned up” compared to previous years. This means the strict holiday protocol will be set aside for a more laid-back vibe.
Charles will continue the long-running tradition of delivering a televised Christmas Day message. However, instead of everyone sitting around to watch his speech, Charles pre-recorded his address to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. And the family will spend the day remembering the queen.
“I’m sure he’ll record a few days before, and it’s bound to have some reflection on their loss,” Bond said.
King Charles changed the Christmas decorations for all the royal properties
Since the queen’s death, King Charles has taken over all of the royal properties. And the Royal Collection Trust announced the dates for all of their respective Christmas displays. According to Express, the new king will not be keeping the decorations up for as long as his late mother did.
“Windsor Castle Christmas decorations will be on display from 24 November 2022 to 2 January 2023,” read a social media post from the official Royal Family account. “Decorations at Holyrood Palace will be up from 1 December 2022 to 2 January 2023. Special events in December include Christmas Exclusive Evening Tours for adults and a Christmas activity day for children.”
During the queen’s reign, Christmas decorations were kept up until February 6 as a tribute to her father, King George VI. He died on February 6, 1952, when the queen was 25.
The royal family’s traditional walk to church will continue
Every year on Christmas day, the queen and other members of her family attended the morning church service at St. Mary Magdalene, Sandringham. It’s a country church that dates back to the 16th century and used to be visited by Queen Elizabeth’s great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
Once the royal family started spending Christmas at Sandringham in 1988, the annual morning walk to the church began. Hundreds of fans gather every year to greet the royals and give them gifts as they make their way to the church.
This tradition will continue with King Charles, as he is expected to attend church on Christmas morning with the Queen Consort, Camilla Parker Bowles. The Prince and Princess of Wales are also expected to attend, along with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly invited to the royal family’s Christmas gathering, but they are not expected to be part of the celebration.
