The Queen Elizabeth it will not be in Sandringham for Christmas 2021. It is the second consecutive year that Her Majesty has been forced to desert one of her most beloved abodes due to the threat of Covid. This time, however, the renunciation is even more bitter, as this will be the first Christmas without Prince Philip. Not even Princess Anna will be able to be by her side. There Cnn announced that the sovereign’s daughter is in quarantine after her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, emerged positive to Covid. Carlo and Camilla, as confirmed by the spokesperson for Clarence House, will be with the sovereign on Christmas day. Elizabeth II will be able to recreate theatmosphere by Sandringham? His Majesty will probably try to respect the Christmas customs related to the residence in Norfolk anyway, even if we cannot be sure. Perhaps holding on to traditions could be a way to seek a glimmer of normality and hope in such a complicated time.
The Christmas dress code
Members of the royal family arrive in Sandringham in small groups. It seems, in fact, that Queen Elizabeth does not like to receive too many people all at once. Royals usually come in “ascending” order of seniority, therefore Carlo e Camilla they are the last to cross the threshold of the residence. When everyone is settled, they are given the program of the holidays with the appointments to be respected. In the royal family, even Christmas is strictly codified. Guests must change their clothes for every event, even if it is private. This means that everyone is sporting at least three outfits a day. For the evening of Christmas Eve the dress code foresees the black tie and the tuxedo for men, the long evening dress for women. It is possible that duchesses and princesses wear diamond jewelry after 6pm, as protocol requires, but as these are family events, they do not show off tiaras. For the traditional mass at St. Mary Magdalene, at 11 in the morning, men are, as always, in a suit and tie, while for women a headgear is mandatory. The family goes to church respecting the “pecking order”, that is the hierarchical order. Only on Boxing Day (Boxing Day in the UK) is more casual and comfortable clothing allowed.
Exchange of gifts according to German customs
The British unwrap the gifts on December 25th, while the royal family prefers to do it on Christmas Eve, at 6pm, immediately after the indispensable tea ritual. He was the husband of the Queen Victoria, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg, to introduce thiscustom of his homeland, Germany. The Germans, in fact, celebrate the “Heiligabend Bescherung”, that is the exchange of gifts, on December 24th. L’expert Robert Jobson revealed: “On Christmas Eve, when the whole family is reunited, the Queen’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren put the finishing touches on the 20-foot Christmas tree found in the White Drawing Room. Gifts will be opened that day, at tea time, as royalty still follow the German tradition of opening gifts on Christmas Eve. The gifts are arranged in the Red Drawing Room, on an easel table covered with a white linen cloth, with tickets marking the places where the piles of gifts are to be placed ”. Usually it was the Duke of Edinburgh who accompanied the relatives to the gift table. This year, for the first time, he will not be the one to do “the honors of the house”.
What to give to the royal family?
In the royal family i want they are strictly low cost, fun and sassy. For example, over the years, Her Majesty has received an apron for washing dishes, and from Prince Harry one headphones for the shower with written on it “How disgusting life, huh?”. The Duke of Sussex, on the other hand, received a plastic kit with an evocative title from Kate “Grown your own girlfriend” (“Create your girlfriend”), playing on the fact that the prince had not yet found his soul mate. The only one not to respect the tradition low cost gifts would have been Lady Diana who, in 1981, would have given Princess Anna a cashmere sweater. Instead, Her Majesty’s daughter would have given her a toilet paper holder, however, without thanking her for the expensive gift she received. Diana did not lose heart and the following year she showed up in Sandringham with much less demanding gifts. For example, he gave Sarah Ferguson a leopard-print bath mat.
The meal etiquette
No member of the royal family can start eating before the sovereign. Furthermore, a curious custom has it that, at Christmas, His Majesty sits at the table with the sound of bagpipes in the background. Another rule prohibits the Windsors from going to sleep before Elizabeth II. It is probable that this year, by order of the doctors, the Queen will not be able to stay in the small hours. Who knows, then, if His Majesty will have to be careful not to overdo the food. THE menu Windsors are not exactly “diet”, as the ex revealed chef of Queen Darren McGrady: salad with lobster or prawns for starter, roast turkey (actually 2 turkeys are served to the royal family, 6 to the staff), Brussels sprouts with bacon from Denhay Farms, supplier of the Windsor, roasted or mashed potatoes , brandy pudding or liquid cream, decorated with holly and served flambé, chocolate stub, gingerbread cookies, just to name a few specialties. The important thing is that all products they are English, organic, tied to the Christmas tradition and there are neither exotic foods, nor garlic, which the Queen detests. Breakfast on Christmas Day includes sausage and bacon. The women of the family, as the protocol dictates, must consume it in the room.
The Christmas scale
Another bizarre Windsor custom is that of balance. His Majesty he insists on weighing all his guests twice: at the beginning and at the end of their stay in Sandringham. If the relatives have gained weight, it means that they enjoyed the food and are satisfied with their stay. By now this tradition has become more of a pastime than anything else, but it has very ancient origins, as Ingrid Seward explains to Grazia Uk: “It dates back to the early twentieth century, when Edward VII was on the British throne. The custom served to certify the enjoyment of those present “. Envoys had to gain 3 pounds, or 1.3 kilograms, to show their “gratitude”. It seems that Lady Diana hated the scales, as the film “Spencer” tells. Her problems with food did not allow her to face with the necessary lightness what is now only a game.
The paper crown
In the UK, at Christmas, families buy Christmas Cracker, bright colored cardboard tubes that look like huge candies, invented in 1847 by a candy merchant, Tom Smith. Originally i Christmas Cracker they contained the sweets with a note bearing a romantic phrase (Baci Perugina style). Pulling on the ends makes the package kind of a little bang (hence the name Cracker). Today there are no bonbons inside, but gadgets such as a paper crown, a toy or a nursery rhyme. Her Majesty, however, does not buy Christmas Crackers in stores, but has them specially packaged for her family. All guests must wear the paper chaplet. Only Elizabeth II refuses to do so, out of respect for the crown she has been wearing for a lifetime.
Queen games
Her Majesty loves to play bridge on 24 and 25 December, after dinner. During games with children and grandchildren, she likes to give advice and do some gossip. Speaking of games, however William e Harry December 24 has always been the day dedicated to the game of soccer. Unfortunately, however, this year the Duke of Sussex will remain in California with Meghan and the children. Perhaps William will take the opportunity to play with his children, George, Charlotte and Louis. A curiosity: the royal family never plays Monopoly. It is forbidden. A rule that may sound bizarre, yet the sovereign decided to ban the famous board game after noticing that it caused too many quarrels in the family. In December 2008, Prince Andrew attended theinauguration of a real estate company in Leeds and, when he was given a Monopoly, the Duke of York preferred not to accept it, saying: “In the family we are not allowed to play with it. It can make you really bad. “ The Windsors, however, console themselves by watching Christmas movies. A family favorite is “Elf” with Will Ferrel (2003).
Postcards and puddings to the staff
At Christmas, Queen Elizabeth does not forget her staff. According to Daily Mail every year the sovereign buys 620 gifts, including porcelain objects and book vouchers and 1500 puddings for her collaborators. Two weeks before Christmas, the staff is called to the Palace and collects the gift from the hands of Elizabeth II (if she cannot go there, the gift is sent home), who thanks them one by one, with a very precise formula: “Thank you so much for all your help throughout the year. Merry Christmas”. Gifts are now bought online, but in the past the Queen stocked up on stores like the greats stores Harrods. His Majesty would spend around 30,000 pounds for gifts to staff. Elizabeth II does not forget to congratulate her chef in person. During the Christmas lunch, in fact, he arrives in the room where the royal family met to cut the turkeys. The sovereign offers him a glass of whiskey and thanks him for his work, offering him a Merry Christmas.
Natale da royal baby
According to rumors, the little ones of the house Windsor they don’t have lunch with their parents on Christmas Day, but upstairs in Sandringham. They have their own table and older cousins, such as Lady Louise Windsor, daughter of Prince Edward, glance at them from time to time. With the arrival of George, Charlotte and Louis the Dukes of Cambridge would modify one of the traditions Christmas. In fact, children are only allowed to unwrap one gift at 6pm on December 24th. The other gifts are left for the morning of the 25th. In 2019, al program a Berry Royal Christmas, Kate Middleton ha rivelato: “The tradition of William’s family now is to open only one gift on Christmas Eve, which is really lovely.” This suggests that the other members of the royal family also keep something to be discarded for the 25th, while continuing to respect the German tradition of the Windsors. Kate also added: “[George, Charlotte e Louis] they get up very early on Christmas morning to open their presents ”.
–
