The Royal Family’s Christmas has barely changed in the past 100 years – they all cherish tradition and see no reason why things should change with the times. As BRIAN HOEY explains, nothing is left to the last minute…

It all starts weeks before Christmas when King Charles and Queen Camilla send around 850 Christmas cards to heads of state, Commonwealth leaders, prominent politicians and friends and family.

However, they don’t sit down together and sign them. King Charles signs his separately and then they are passed to Camilla for her to sign. They also send personal cards to some of the friends and organizations they are associated with.

Recipients can tell their status with the King and Queen by the way their cards are signed.

Cousins ​​such as the Kents and Gloucesters will have a personal name added, while leading political figures such as the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the House of Commons will be given a formal Charles R or Camilla R.

Many of the ‘hangers-on’ don’t even get a signature, just a name on it.

The King’s Speech will be recorded in December, just a few weeks before Christmas. They like to leave it to the last minute in case there is special news.

The Princess of Wales’s Christmas carol concert has become a permanent fixture on the royal calendar, with almost all members of the family attending. This year will be very special and will be all about ‘how much we need others in difficult times’

His Majesty is handing out around 1,450 Christmas puddings to staff and former members, as well as the police officers manning the gates of Buckingham Palace.

Traditionally, His Majesty donates 100 kilos of coal to ‘deserving and needy’ people in Windsor. There used to be around 900 people during the early days of the late Queen’s reign, but today, as central heating has largely replaced coal fires, that number has fallen to less than 100.

The staff receives its gift from the King by being arranged in order of seniority, with the members coming first, followed by the civil servants and staff at the end. They are also invited to the Household Reception held in the State Apartments of the Palace.

The King donates Christmas trees to a number of different places: two will go to Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral will receive three, the Guards Chapel at Wellington Barracks in Edinburgh will receive two.

St Giles Cathedral gets one tree, as does Cannongate Kirk, while Crathie Church and Balmoral get one and other churches and schools around Sandringham get trees every Christmas.

The friends and family invited to join the royal family at Sandringham for the festivities will be told when to arrive – and in what order, with the youngest instructed to appear first, followed by those in strict order of succession to the throne.

And despite her age and experience, Anne, The Princess Royal, who is already well down the line, will arrive quite early, along with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, and their children, Zara and Peter and their families .

The Prince of Wales, as the first in the line of succession, need not arrive until last, unless he decides to remain at his own home in Anmer. But this year. He and Catherine, Princess of Wales, along with their children, are expected to hold their own festivities at nearby Anmer Hall, their country home.

Royal gifts at Sandringham are traditionally exchanged at teatime on Christmas Eve, not on Christmas Day.

The family all sneak secretly into the drawing room where the gifts are spread out on red tablecloths and according to Prince Philip’s previous instructions, which are still being followed, they are all to be of the simple and, if possible, humorous and cheap variety.

Another old custom that remains is that all presents must be opened in front of the entire room. This is the moment when the sound of raucous laughter rings out and the one who laughs the most is applauded the most.

An age-old custom that still persists is that Christmas Eve dinner is a formal ‘black-tie’ event and His Majesty dislikes the ‘clip-on’ variety, so gentlemen learn to make their own bows. The ladies all wear evening dresses and tiaras. Dinner is at 8pm and drinks at 7pm, so anyone who wants to go to church, including midnight mass, will have plenty of time.

Christmas Day starts much the same as any other day for the royal family. They don’t like to be in bed and they are all on parade for breakfast at 8:30 am, which is significant as they all go for a walk later in the day.

The family all goes to church at 11 a.m. in the morning, but the king receives Holy Communion privately from his own chaplain before the service. When the collection plate is passed, the Royal Equerry, who sits directly behind the King, gives him a brand new ten pound note. It used to be a five pound note, but inflation has not ignored royalties.

Lunch, as is customary in most households, is the main meal of the day and consists of the traditional roast turkey – home-reared of course – but the chef always makes sure to have the King’s favorite meal ready, before the case that. This is scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. But His Majesty rarely bothers his chef to give him this little something extra. He leaves that to Boxing Day.

There are actually six lunches served on Christmas Day. The first, at 11am, is for the junior staff. Then the senior footmen an hour later, followed by the Royal Family at 1.15pm.

The junior kitchen staff have their turn at 2.15pm, with senior footmen and butlers, with the Royal chef being the last to sit down at 4.15pm, after they have all watched The King’s Christmas broadcast at 3pm. In the evenings, charades are popular with the royal family.

Boxing Day starts with a ‘full English’ (or Scottish) breakfast of bacon, eggs and also Kedgeree, that old British rarity of smoked haddock, onion, curry and hard-boiled eggs, which used to be served on a heavy sideboard. It’s more relaxed than the day before with having breakfast whenever they want.

Then comes the traditional ‘shoot’ that no one dares miss – unless they want to experience His Majesty’s displeasure. This starts when the king is ready and everyone is waiting for him.

Lunch consists of a stuffed roll, a slice of plum pudding, an apple and diluted whiskey to keep the chill out, while The King has the aforementioned scrambled eggs and smoked salmon and peach melba. Afternoons are time to relax, usually falling asleep on the couch.

Later that afternoon or evening, everyone except the immediate family leaves Sandringham having witnessed a unique opportunity to enjoy royal hospitality.

The late Queen Elizabeth, who was not at all suspicious, ordered that the decorations should not be removed until she had left Sandringham, and not on the twelfth evening, as most people do. The king is expected to follow his mother’s orders.

The king and queen stay a little longer, but their work never ends. The cabinet secretaries were all on duty throughout the holiday.