Having a large family during Christmas can be challenging, and it appears that the royal family is not exempt from having trouble finding a place to sleep.
According to a report by Mail+’s Palace Confidential, the Prince and Princess of Wales were compelled to sleep on “fish finger” style beds while traveling up to Norfolk to stay with King Charles at Sandringham.
They allegedly had to deal with “old fashioned beds with the really creaky bedsprings at the bottom” in addition to tiny singles. Not exactly what you want for a silent night!
According to Rebecca English, Royal Editor of The Daily Mail, “Sandringham can fit about 16 to 18 people to have a sleepover comfortably.”
It appears that it will have been a tight squeeze, though, as Prince William recently stated that he was excited to spend Christmas with “45 family members“.
In an attempt to fit in, it is actually believed that the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh might have been ostracised to the “staff quarters” as in past years.
Christmas at Sandringham
From year to year, the Christmas party has the same routine. A “free-for-all” is how Prince Harry has described the custom of the royals opening their presents on December 24.
In his memoir Spare, he wrote: “The whole family gathered to open gifts on Christmas Eve, as always, a German tradition that survived the anglicising of the family surname from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor.”
With a long table covered in white cloth and name cards designating each family member’s place, the celebrations take place in a large room at Sandringham.
According to former household chef Darren McGrady, the royal family enjoys a substantial breakfast early on Christmas morning.
The women are given “sliced fruit, half a grapefruit, toast and coffee delivered to their rooms,” while the men are given a full English breakfast that includes eggs, bacon, mushrooms, kippers, and grilled kidneys.
After that, the family attends the morning service at St. Mary Magdalene, where they mingle with well-wishers along the way.
After that, they go back for lunch. The previous time Darren said that “It was the same meal every year!” He added: “When it comes to celebrations, they are truly dull! They only made traditional turkeys, no hams or anything.”
Although wine is always freely available, the family must abide by one unwritten rule.
Grant Harrold, a former royal butler, said “hand on heart” that the royal family never gets wasted during Christmas or other family get-togethers.
“I firmly believe that I have never witnessed a member of the royal family intoxicated. It’s another matter entirely if we’re discussing employees,” he jokingly said.