The holidays have historically been a happy time for the royal family, filled with ancient traditions such as opening presents on Christmas Eve on the Sandringham Estate and participating in the annual Christmas morning walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church. to Princess Kate and Prince WilliamIt's the time of year when they return to their cozy country house and hunker down with their three children for quiet walks in the woods, board games and beloved Christmas movies.
This season will be even more special for the Prince and Princess of Wales after a very difficult 2024, which saw both Kate, 42, and father William, 76, appear… king Charles III, Fighting cancer (Charles continues to receive treatment; Kate She was declared cancer-free In a video message in September). “Last year was one of the most challenging years yet for them,” the royal expert said Sharon Carpenter says in Us WeeklyLatest cover story. (William He described it as “brutal.” (In an interview in November.) “You can only imagine how relieved and grateful they feel.” Kate couldn't be happier to spend the next few weeks surrounded by loved ones who helped her through her darkest hours. “Kate is genuinely looking forward to joining the royal family at Sandringham at Christmas,” Carpenter adds. “The holidays will undoubtedly be an opportunity for the whole family to give thanks.”
Kate's gratitude was on full display in a heartfelt message she shared with guests attending her fourth annual Christmas Together at Westminster Abbey (which airs in the UK on December 24). The ceremony honors those who have shown “love, kindness and compassion” towards others – feelings that Kate now particularly cherishes. “Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year,” the mother of three wrote. “It is a time of celebration and joy, but it also gives us the opportunity to reflect and reflect on the deeper things that connect us all,” she added. “This carol service is a heartfelt celebration of each and every one of you, and a reminder that at Christmas, and throughout the year, we must all shine for “each other.”
Magic time
Before joining the usual festivities with the rest of the royal family, William, 42, and Kate are getting into the holiday spirit with their children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. In past years, we have attended school concerts and visited a local tree farm. At Anmer Hall – a five-minute drive from Sandringham – they will bake, write their wish lists, play games such as Risk and Monopoly and watch films (dwarf is preferred). They also hang out with Kate's parents, Carol and Michael MiddletonThey both provided tremendous support to Kate and William during her health crisis. “Spending time with her side of the family is very important to Kate,” Carpenter says. “It's a more private and relaxed environment away from the public eye.”
King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate Middleton and more royals took part in the annual walk-in Christmas church service at Sandringham. As usual, Charles, 75, and Camilla, 76, led the royal family on Monday, December 25, as they made the trip to the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, (…)
Kate has always been a big fan of the holidays – but she's even more appreciative of all the special moments after everything she's been through. (“I can't tell you what a relief it is that I have finally completed my chemotherapy,” she said in her September video message, adding, “My road to recovery and full recovery is long, and I must continue to take each day as it should be.”) It's coming. “) In October, The King: The Life of Charles III author Christopher Andersen He said we The future queen has a new outlook on life. “(She sees) how it can change in the blink of an eye,” he said. Carpenter adds: “There's no doubt that one of Kate's highlights is watching George, Charlotte and Louis enjoy the magic of Christmas.”
Royal celebration
The 2024 holidays will be a mix of old and new for the royal family. Guests typically arrive at Sandringham – Charles' 20,000-acre estate – on Christmas Eve, and children put the finishing touches on the 20-foot tree in the white drawing room before everyone opens presents laid out on a long table. In his diary for 2023, additional, Prince Harry “A free-for-all, with dozens of family members talking at once, pulling out bows and tearing up wrapping paper,” he recalls.
The gifts are inexpensive and often funny. Harry reportedly once gifted it to his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II A shower cap that says “Life's a Bitch”, while Charles' sister, Princess AnneThe 74-year-old is said to have given the king a leather toilet seat. It is also claimed that before Harry met his wife, Meghan MarkleKate gave him the Grow Your Own Girlfriend kit. Later, the adults sit down to a formal dinner of salad and fish.
Princess Kate Middleton made an unexpected but very welcome return to public duties alongside her husband, Prince William, on October 10, when the couple visited Southport to show support in the wake of the July 29 attack on three children. While on their way to the local community centre, they looked further into (…)
After breakfast on Christmas Day, they head to church. In 2022, William remembered how he used to laugh while sitting in front of his cousins. “Having my cousins across from me always made it very difficult to keep a straight face,” he admitted. The palace author Gareth Russell He tells we Lunch “traditionally consists of prawn or lobster salad, followed by roast turkey and all the usual trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding with brandy butter.” (Russell says Charles is also keeping up his mother's tradition of sharing a glass of whiskey with the chef at Sandringham.) Revelers then gather to watch Charles' pre-recorded Christmas speech.
Carpenter says the King will “add some modern touches” along the way by using eco-friendly LED lights and opening up his home in Highgrove (where he and Queen Camilla77, will remain in the days leading up to Christmas) and other royal residences to the public. “(This) will help the public feel more connected to the royal family this holiday season,” she explains. “I think, like many families who have lost older relatives, there is always a balance between preserving old traditions and introducing new ones,” Russell adds.
Family first
The guest list is likely to include William's cousins Princess Beatrice36 y Princess Eugenie34 years old, in addition to their children (Beatrice – from I'm expecting a baby this spring —And the husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi Sharing Sienna, 3, and Mozzie's 8-year-old son, Wolfie, from a previous relationship; Eugenie is a mother to August (3 years) and Ernest (18 months) with her husband Jack Brooksbank), and their parents, Prince Andrew(64 years old) and his ex-wife sarah ferguson, The 65-year-old, who was a surprise addition in 2023 after a 30-year absence. Zara, 43 years old, b Mike Tyndall46 (parents to Mia, 10, Lena, 6, and Lucas, 3), and mother to Zara, Princess Anneis also expected to attend along with Prince Edward60, and Duchess Sophie59, and their two children Louise, 21, and James, 16.
Prince William took his three children and wife Princess Kate Middleton to her annual “Together at Christmas” Mass on Friday, December 6. William, 42, was seen arriving at Westminster Abbey in London, wearing a smart navy suit with a burgundy tie. With sons Prince George, 11, and Prince Louis, 6. William and Kate (…)
The focus will be on children. During last year's royal walk, Prince Louis was photographed holding Mia's hand, and in 2021, William said he loves seeing the little ones bonding over the holidays. “When I see my kids getting together with my cousins' kids, and they're all having a great time playing together, it's very special,” he explained. “I'm looking forward to it very much.” Carpenter adds that given their health battles, Kate and Charles are “very much looking forward to being surrounded by family, and there will be a lot of royal kids in attendance who bring the kind of fun, playful energy that serves as a good distraction from everyone else.” “Dangerous things.”
Support system
Kate drew strength from her father-in-law. “She shares a very special bond with Charles after they both faced such similar health battles at the same time,” says Carpenter. “They were there for each other.” Their health issues had a unifying effect on the entire family. “The family members have done a wonderful job stepping up to take on additional duties in their absence,” Carpenter adds. “From William who is burning the candle at both ends at home and at work to Queen Camilla who is showing the same kind of support for the King, as well as other senior royals who are going the extra mile to keep things running smoothly – they are all closer than ever.”
Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton are keeping their vacation plans to their immediate families this season, a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “William and Kate will take the kids to a walk at Sandringham (the estate) and Mass at St. Mary Magdalene” on Christmas Day, the insider says, noting that “Kate and William are looking (…)
In the groove
Kate will enter the new year with cautious optimism. “As William said in September, there is still a long way to go, and Kate will undoubtedly do what she can comfortably do,” says the royal expert. Richard Fitzwilliams. Carpenter adds: “Kate is still taking things slowly during her ongoing recovery, but it must be great to get back to doing what she loves – both work and family-wise.”
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With reporting by Cristina Garibaldi
