How the Royals Will ‘Make the Most of Their Time’ This Christmas

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for the royal family. At Windsor Castle, a 20-foot Nordmann fir tree — cut from the grounds of Windsor Great Park and wrapped in thousands of twinkling lights — stands tall at the end of St George’s Hall, while a second smaller one sparkles in the Crimson Drawing Room. Over at Buckingham Palace, three majestic trees sit in the Marble Hall and festive garland adorns the grand staircase. And at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland, the royal dining room table is laid with sugared fruits and foliage.

Preparations are also underway at Sandringham House, the picturesque 20,000-acre Norfolk estate where King Charles III will be hosting this year’s festivities alongside his wife, Queen Camilla. (Queen Elizabeth II began holding Christmas at Sandringham back in 1988; the days-long celebration begins on Christmas Eve and wraps up with a Boxing Day hunt on December 26.) The gathering brings together a who’s who of the royal family — chief among them Prince William and Princess Kate, both 43, and their kids, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. Last December, William revealed 45 guests were expected to attend the 2024 celebration.

Nevertheless, according to a source, the mood this holiday season is bittersweet. While Charles has appeared well in recent months, the king, 77, is still undergoing treatment for his cancer diagnosis; at the same time, it’s Kate’s first Christmas since announcing she’s in remission from cancer in January. “The celebration may carry a wistful tone,” says the source, “however, it will also be a time of celebration, especially after Kate received the all-clear.” The theme of Kate’s Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey — which airs in the U.K. on December 24 — is happiness and love, and the source says that sentiment will carry over to the royal holiday. “They all want to make the most of their time together.”

It’s Kate and William’s first Christmas in their new house — the family of five relocated from their Adelaide Cottage to Forest Lodge in late October. “[They’re looking forward to] creating memories in what they consider their forever home,” says the first source. In years past, they visited a local tree farm, baked desserts and watched holiday films (In 2021, William said Elf is his favorite Christmas movie). They typically alternate between spending Christmas with William’s side of the family and with Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, but are happy to be at Charles’ side. (A second source says the Middletons will join Kate and William at Sandringham.)

The kids are in the holiday spirit. William and Kate moved into their new home, Forest Lodge, this October. “They love Christmas,” says the source, noting that William and Kate strive to keep their children as down-to-earth as possible. “They want to create a traditional Christmas without airs and graces, unlike what Charles might have had as a child.” Kate’s Together at Christmas carol service will be filmed on December 5; Kate Winslet, Hannah Waddingham and Chiwetel Ejiofor are expected to perform. “It’s one of her premier events of the season,” says the second source. “She’s excited for it.”

Charles, meanwhile, could use some good cheer following a tumultuous few months. In October, his younger brother Andrew was formally stripped of his royal titles over his ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. (The former prince, 65, now goes by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.) Charles also evicted him from his longtime home, the royal estate in Windsor. “Formal notice has now been served to surrender the lease and he will move to alternative private accommodation,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

A month earlier, the monarch and Prince Harry, 41, had a face-to-face meeting in London (their first in 19 months). The father-son sit-down was promising, but the source says “that’s as far as it has gone,” and Harry and William remain as estranged as ever. The second source tells Us there are new concerns over “whether or not trust can be rebuilt” after Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, 44, attended Kris Jenner’s celebrity- packed 70th birthday party on November 8. “If they are going to go out and look like Hollywood players, it’s at odds with what the palace and royal family mem- bers would do,” says the source, adding that the likelihood of the Sussexes getting a Christmas invite from Charles was always “slim.”

Despite the drama, Charles is determined to have a memorable holiday. “Charles prioritizes duty, but he’s also a family man who knows his time is precious,” says the first source. “He wants a special last Christmas in case it’s his last.” He plans on taking part in the annual walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church on Christmas morning and recording his Christmas speech, which airs later that afternoon. (Last year, 5 million viewers tuned in.) “Nothing would stop Charles from doing that,” says the source, noting that the monarch ascribes to his late mother’s credo that one “has to be seen to be believed.” Adds the source: “He will do everything expected of him and more.” The second source says those around Charles are cautiously optimistic about what he’s up for: “His health isn’t the best. They’re taking it day by day.”

The guest list will look a bit different this year. Andrew (who attended in 2024 with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson) is not invited. “The family wants to put the negativity behind them,” says the first source. Their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, are expected at the church service but may spend the rest of the holiday with their respective in-laws. Other guests include Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, and her husband, Mike Tindall, as well as Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.

Attendees are scheduled to begin arriving at Sandringham on Christmas Eve. Royal historian Marlene Koenig says there’s an afternoon tea with traditional cakes, sandwiches and Coronation Chicken (a British dish of chicken in a curried mayonnaise sauce), and later a black-tie dinner followed by gift-giving. “The royals prefer jokey or inexpensive gifts,” says Koenig. (In Omid Scobie’s book Finding Freedom, he wrote that Harry once gifted his grandmother a shower cap that read, “Ain’t life a b****,” and that Princess Anne gave her brother Charles a leather toilet seat.) “There’s a competition to see who can get the funniest one,” says the second source.

After church (Koenig says Charles and Camilla and Kate and William and their kids will lead the procession from Sandringham House on Christmas morning), the family returns home for drinks before lunch — “a very traditional meal with turkey from [a] local butcher and all the trimmings,” says Koenig. Then it’s the king’s speech and a buffet dinner. “It can include boar’s head, ham, salmon and numerous side dishes,” shares Koenig, adding that “the dessert table will feature delicacies and Charbonnel et Walker chocolates.”

Despite a year of trials and tribulations, the holidays still carry a joyful sense of hope. “Although we do not know what cancer Charles has, it is apparent that his treatment allows him to continue a normal life,” says Koenig. His Christmas wish is for quality time with his loved ones. “Charles wants to have a traditional holiday with all the royals,” says the first source. “Every family Christmas is precious, but it’s especially so for him this year.”

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