Royal Family at Christmas 2019
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! The holidays are always an exciting time for the Royals because, like most families, it is one of the few occasions each year they are able to all come together. The royal family spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together at Sandringham but they also have celebrations in London before the actual holiday.
The Queen held her annual Christmas Luncheon at Buckingham Palace a week before Christmas Day. While it is a private family gathering, photographs of the Royals arriving and leaving give fans a small glimpse into the lunch. Following the Christmas Luncheon, fans were delighted when the palace released photographs and video of the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George all preparing Christmas pudding together. The current monarch and three future monarchs were supporting the Royal British Legion during the private event.
Another exciting part of the holidays is the release of the Royals Christmas Cards. While this year they seemed to deviate slightly from how they have been released in previous years, the photos were adorable and well worth the wait. Camilla and Charles selected a photo from an official royal visit to Cuba earlier in the year and released the card on their instagram and twitter.
Earlier in the month the Cambridge's Christmas photograph was posted to Twitter before it was officially shared by Kensington Palace. Rather than releasing the card following the leak, the Cambridge's shared a second image that was taken by the Duchess of Cambridge at the family's home in Norfolk. The photo showed Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis with their father, Prince William, in one of the most relaxed shots fans had seen of the family together.
The Duke and Duchess shared their card via some of their patronages rather than posting it officially to their account. The photo was taken by one of the Duchess of Sussex's friends, Janina Gavankar and showed the new parents laughing in the background as baby Archie crawled towards the camera. The card also included the message that read "Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from our family to yours." The Sussex's also decided to share the card electronically rather than sending out paper copies as Royals have done in the past.
On Christmas Day the Royal Family all came out for a service at St. Mary Magdalene's at Sandringham. While a few members of the family had opted to celebrate Christmas privately, a few of the younger royals made their debut at the Christmas walk. Both Prince George and Princess Charlotte joined their parents for the church service and they stole the show.
Prince George stayed close to his father's side, greeting members of the public after the service while Princess Charlotte debuted her first ever royal curtsy. Their parents were right next to them to support them during their first times greeting the public. They both did a wonderful job and seemed to enjoy all of the gifts that members of the public brought for them.
The Queen was vibrant in a festive red coat and while her husband, Prince Philip, was not in attendance (he released from hospital only a few days earlier) she was joined in the car by the Duchess of Cornwall on her way to the service. Her Majesty rode with the Countess of Wessex on her departure from the service.
While she departed with the Queen, the Countess of Wessex arrived with the rest of the Royals for the walk to the service. The Earl and Countess were joined by their two children, Lady Louise and James Viscount Severn. Sophie and the Queen are known to be particularly close and they are often seen together at both private and public events.
The York Princesses were also in attendance, Princess Eugenie was accompanied by her husband, Jack Brooksbank while Princess Beatrice's fiance joined the rest of the Royal Family for the first time at the service. Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi announced their engagement this fall and are expected to wed sometime in the spring.
While her children were not in attendance, the Princess Royal joined the family for the service. She wore a purple coat dress that matched the Duchess of Cornwall's bright ensemble. Princess Anne's children have periodically opted to celebrate Christmas with their respective spouses which is likely what they did this year.
The Royal Family typically enjoy a break between the holidays and the new year. Fans can expect to see them resume their normal schedules in 2020. xx