King Charles’ cancer diagnosis has, in many ways, ruined his 2024. This year was to be the first full year of Charles reign, but instead, it was filled with uncertainties, worries, and difficult treatments. In the meantime, Prince Harry’s actions haven’t made his life easier, while his brother Prince Andrew’s behavior has reportedly made the king’s everyday life even more miserable.
Luckily, it appears that Charles’ cancer battle is going well, especially since he was reported to have received his doctor’s blessing to pause treatment for he and Camilla’s October trip to Australia and Samoa.
While King Charles can be considered a relatively popular monarch, having a king who can’t perform his royal duties is not optimal. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there have already been opinions voiced regarding his potential abdication, and reports suggest that the Palace has already started planning for William’s takeover. One royal expert paints a rather bleak picture, stating that Charles must accept that a dark future is approaching.
King Charles and the Royal Family will celebrate this Christmas at Sandringham, as they do every year. A traditional Christmas was said to be one of Queen Elizabeth II’s big passions, and though not much is known about how the Firm has celebrated Christmas since her passing, we can assume the royals have largely continued to enjoy the holiday much as before.
The Royal Family has a formal dinner on Christmas Eve, often including Norfolk shrimp and lamb. When the queen was still alive, she always signaled to the women at 10 p.m. that it was time to go to bed, when the men traditionally enjoyed a brandy. This could very well have been changed to a somewhat more modern Christmas Eve night, where one can go to bed whenever they please.
Upon waking up, the family enjoys a classic English breakfast of eggs, sausages, bacon, and beans. Then, after the traditional visit to St Mary Magdalene Church, they eat a Christmas lunch, the main course of which is a roast turkey.
US Weekly has previously reported that the family members have also upheld Henry VII’s tradition of “weighing in before and after Christmas lunch.”
Royal Christmas
Christmas at Sandringham is a private event to which only the closest family is invited. This year, however, it’s been reported that Camilla has invited her son, Tom Parker-Bowles, to take part in the celebration.
King Charles has continued the tradition of the pre-Christmas lunch, which has been held at Windsor Castle for the past two years. No pictures are taken or released from the big Christmas bash, but a couple of years ago, Mike Tindal – who’s married to Zara Tindall, the King’s niece – revealed some details of what goes on behind closed doors.
The royals love spending time together, but Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will have their own meal for the big Christmas lunch. According to Tindall, the children do not sit at the same table as the grownups. In fact, they are not even in the same room.
Seven tables are arranged for the adult Royal Family members to sit at during Christmas lunch. In a 2019 podcast interview, Tindall revealed how the seating is arranged.
“Is there a promotion and relegation based on the year’s performance? Because if there is I imagine you’re pretty much sitting on the right-hand side of Her Majesty,” Tindall said. “I was on Prince Charles’s table, it was lovely.”
George, Charlotte, and Louis spend time with many of their relatives during the big Christmas lunch. That includes Zara and Mike Tindall’s children, Mia, Lena, and Lucas.
“This is the family lunch, there were seven tables so there must have been about 70 of us there. The kiddies have their own little one in a different room,” Tindall revealed.
King Charles makes significant change for Christmas lunch
Besides “normal” gifts, the Royal Family likes to have a bit of fun and give each other lighter gifts. Though Kate Middleton, Prince William, King Charles, Queen Camilla, and other royals might seem strict in public, things are different when in private. As for Christmas, the royals are reported to have one fun tradition. Besides handing each other “ordinary” gifts, they also exchange gifts that intend to bring forward laughter.
Over the years, several “gag presents” have been handed to family members. In 2016, Kate reportedly gave Prince Harry a “Grow Your Own Girlfriend” kit before he met Meghan, and William once gave the Queen a pair of personalized slippers sporting her face.
Meghan, though, opted for a relatively bolder choice. During her first Christmas with the royals, she reportedly handed Queen Elizabeth a singing hamster on a string, which both the monarch – and her corgis – loved.
This year, the traditional Christmas lunch will not take place at Windsor. According to new reports, King Charles has decided to move the gathering to Buckingham Palace instead. 2024 has meant a deal of drama for the Royal Family, with Charles and Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnoses stand-outs in terms of unfortunate happenings. Luckily, Kate has declared herself cancer-free, while King Charles’ treatment appears to be moving in the right direction.
Even so, this royal Christmas will promise some amount of tension, with one issue involving King Charles’s brother, Prince Andrew. The disgraced prince has done his best to stay out of the spotlight following the infamous Jeffrey Epstein scandal, but now he finds himself making headlines again.
Charles faces Christmas headache over brother Prince Andrew
In recent days, it has been revealed that an alleged Chinese spy – who’s now been banned from the UK – was a “close confidant” of Prince Andrew. Days ago, the Duke of York’s office put out a statement.
“The Duke of York followed advice from HMG and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised,” it read. “The duke met the individual through official channels, with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.”
The alleged espionage connections between the spy and Andrew led royal expert Kinsey Schofield to issue a warning that he is becoming a “liability.” Speaking to GB News, the expert stated that an Act of Parliament could remove the Duke of York’s royal title. However, according to her, one person stands in the way of Andrew being excluded from the heart of the Royal Family: King Charles.
“As far as the Palace is concerned, they should maintain transparency with the public, reaffirming that the monarchy values accountability and integrity,” Schofield told GB News.
Schofield continued: “I think that the King made a promise to the late Queen Elizabeth that he would take care of his brother. I think that the king is an honourable man, and I don’t think that he has any intention to break that promise to Queen Elizabeth. The King has been put in a tough position after a very rough year.”
Charles’ cancer diagnosis has, naturally, overshadowed his reign. It was apparent right from the off that he wouldn’t serve as long as his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, but that the 76-year-old would be diagnosed with cancer less than a year after his coronation was a devastating blow no one saw coming.
Will King Charles abdicate?
Prince William is preparing to succeed his father, but it could be years before he ascends the throne. At the same time, with King Charles not being able to perform a number of royal duties during his treatment, questions have been raised about whether he should abdicate and make room for his son.
Charles has waited his entire life to take the throne; understandably, he doesn’t want to abdicate. A royal insider told Woman’s Day that King Charles “came to terms” with the fact that he will have a short-lived reign years ago.
“He’s a lot weaker and tires easily, and doctors are begging him to slow down,” the source said, adding that in private, King Charles knows he is limited by his health issues and struggling over whether it’s noble or not to abdicate.
“Charles will have been told worst and best case scenarios in terms of his health, but it’s clear some of his royal priorities have had to be sidelined.”
The source continued by saying that while Charles is reluctant to give William, his son, too much power and space, he has held private meetings with him to discuss the future.
“As devastating as it’s been, he’s had to step away from some of his plans or leave them to William. He has no choice,” the source said. “Cancer has changed him, made him reassess what’s important, and there’s no one he’d rather spend his time with than Camilla. Stepping aside could be what gives him more time with her.”
King Charles has to “accept limitations” as Prince William is next-in-line to the throne
William has stepped in for his father several times this year. He represented King Charles and the Royal Family at France’s major D-Day anniversary event, and as late as December, was back in France to attend the reopening of Notre Dame five years after the massive fire.
It’s becoming more apparent that the Prince of Wales is being prepared for life as monarch, and sadly, another royal expert now claims that Charles has to accept his fate. Speaking to People Magazine, royal commentator Sally Bedell Smith claimed that Charles has to “accept limitations” during his cancer treatment. At the same time, William and Kate Middleton “have been preparing for their future roles” much sooner than they expected.
“Although the King is carrying out his duties with typical determination, he has had to accept limitations during his cancer treatment,” Bedell Smith said. “As a result, William has been taking on more responsibilities, and he and Kate have been preparing for their future roles sooner than they would have expected.”
A palace source told GB News that within the Palace walls, “there is a sense of calm before the storm.”
“They are next in line for the biggest job of their lives, and of course, Kate’s health has taken priority, but it’s also allowed everyone to take a step back and figure out what’s important right now,” the source said.
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