In his first Christmas holidays as king of England, Charles III surrounded himself with his people to follow traditions. The almost entire Windsor family, with the already known absence of Enrique and Meghan, has gathered at Sandringham, the residence located in Norfolk where they have celebrated Christmas for decades. As a novelty, the king has invited his wife’s family this year. Thus, Camila’s two children, Tom Parker-Bowles and Laura Lopes, have been added with their respective families to the guest list; also Annabel Elliot, sister of the queen, who was widowed last March.
The celebration began on Christmas Eve itself in the afternoon, with all the guests participating in the invisible friend with low-value and fun gifts. This ritual takes place around 4 p.m., coinciding with tea time. In the evening, the Christmas Eve dinner was held, with a six-course menu.
On the 25th, as is tradition, the family attended Christmas mass at the church of Saint Mary Magdalene, just a few minutes from the Sandringham residence. Kings Charles and Camilla led the Windsors’ walk to the church, where the public could greet them. Behind them, the princes of Wales, William and Catherine, and their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis. Princess Anne and her family were also there; the Dukes of Edinburgh and their children, and Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice of York with their respective husbands. On that family outing, Prince Andrew could be seen, who has been invited for the second time by his older brother, after six years without attending due to his involvement in the Epstein case. This year the Duke of York’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, attended, having done so after three decades without attending this service.
After the service, members of the royal family returned to Sandringham to celebrate the Christmas meal. Later, everyone together watched the monarch’s speech on television, recorded days before. In the evening, they enjoyed a buffet dinner. And yesterday was the day to go pheasant hunting and promote donations.