Inside Meghan’s ‘amazing’ first Christmas at Sandringham: From afternoon tea to ‘singing’ gift for the Queen

In 2017, newly engaged Meghan Markle spent her first Christmas with the royal family, marking a major step in royal life.

Instead of staying at Sandringham, which had plenty of bedrooms, she and Prince Harry accepted an invitation from Prince William and Princess Catherine to stay at their newly renovated country home, Anmer Hall.

There they took part in the long-standing Christmas celebrations, which royal biographer Andrew Morton describes as surprisingly relaxed.

In his book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, the author writes: ‘Although it was fresh and exciting for Meghan, Christmas at Sandringham has a regular soothing rhythm, like one of the many grandfather clocks that dominate the halls.’

The Duchess recalled her “amazing” first Christmas at Sandringham with the royal family in her 2022 Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan.

“I remember so vividly the first Christmas at Sandringham,” Meghan recalled. “I call my mom and she says, ‘How are you?’ And I said, “Oh my god, it’s amazing.”

“It’s like a big family like I always wanted,” she added. “And there was just a constant movement and energy and fun.”

She then told how she sat next to Prince Philip, ‘H’s grandfather’, at dinner.

Meghan explained, “And I just loved it so much. And I thought, “Oh, we talked and it was so great.” And I talked about this, and talked about this.

‘He [Harry] said, “You had his bad ear. He couldn’t hear anything you said.” I thought, ‘Oh. Well, I thought it went really well.'”

Unlike other women who married into the royal family, Meghan was invited to spend Christmas at Sandringham five months before her wedding to Harry.

This unprecedented decision was seen as a very personal gesture from Queen Elizabeth, warmly welcoming the former actress.

The festivities began at 4pm on Christmas Eve in Sandringham’s wood-paneled drawing room, where the family gathered for afternoon tea – a meal cherished by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The range included a range of delicate sandwiches, scones, muffins and cakes, accompanied by Earl Gray and the Queen’s favorite Indian blend tea.

At 6 p.m., the family gathered again in the elegant white drawing room to exchange gifts, continuing a cherished royal tradition.

Gifts were laid out on cloth-covered tables, with a name tag on each pile.

The exchange of gifts, as described by Mr. Morton, could become quite lively. “Princess Margaret’s ex-husband Lord Snowdon once described the scene as ‘complete commotion’ as everyone tore open their presents,” he says.

Rather than opting for lavish gifts, the royal family is known for choosing quirky, humorous and often unusual gifts for each other.

Harry has a track record of providing the most entertaining surprises, with other family members joining in on the playful spirit.

“One year Harry gave the Queen a shower cap with the text ‘Ain’t life a bitch’ on it,” Mr Morton reveals.

‘For another year he gave her a singing Big Mouth Billy Vass, who has pride of place on the piano in her Balmoral study.

‘In her time, Diana once received a false bosom, while Princess Anne received a monogrammed doormat.

‘One report suggested Meghan got into the crazy spirit and gave the Queen a singing hamster, which the corgis apparently looked at glumly.’

After this laughter-filled exchange, the family retired to their rooms to prepare for that evening’s formal dinner.

The event adhered to the black tie dress code, with elegant dresses taking center stage.

At 8pm sharp, the family gathered for an aperitif, with Queen Elizabeth entering 15 minutes later, ready to enjoy her signature dry martini.

But not everyone was completely thrilled with the formalities. Sarah Ferguson reportedly expressed her frustration over the numerous outfit changes required during the event.

According to Mr Morton: ‘The Duchess of York once recalled: ‘Christmas can be exhausting, not least because you sometimes change clothes seven times in twenty-four hours. You never let the Queen beat you up for dinner, end of story – to come. later would be unimaginably disrespectful.”

The banquet that followed was a feast of local delicacies, with Norfolk prawns, Sandringham estate lamb and Tarte Tatin.

For a festive touch, the royals pulled out crackers filled with silver or gold crowns, bringing a sense of shared merriment to the occasion.

“Like everyone except the Queen, Meghan crowned herself with the paper hat,” Morton wrote.

Christmas morning started with Meghan and Harry having breakfast with William and Kate at Anmer Hall, while George and Charlotte opened their presents.

Later, Meghan joined the royals for the customary walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church.

Dressed in a beige Sentaler wrap coat, Stuart Weitzman boots and a custom Philip Treacy beret, the Duchess exuded sophistication as she walked alongside William and Kate, smiling and waving to the crowd gathered along the path.

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth arrived by car for the first time, accompanied by Camilla.

After the service, the family returned to Sandringham for lunch and gathered to watch the Queen’s annual Christmas broadcast, a tradition that concluded their celebrations.

In her speech, she referred to “new members” of the family – a sentiment that was widely interpreted as a nod to Meghan.