RF.. Prince William’s present to Kate that “didn’t go well”

Prince William, Kate Middleton, and the rest of the Royal Family celebrated Christmas in a traditional fashion. On Christmas morning, the royals met with well-wishes as they performed the traditional Christmas procession to St Mary Magdalene Church. Still, sadly, the Prince and Princess of Wales reportedly might not do it every year moving forward.

William has described this year as the toughest year of his life, so he and Kate are taking things very slow this festive season. They cherish spending time with their family, but after everything they have been through, the couple has made sure to have some time alone with their children too.

Presents are, at least for the children, a big part of Christmas, and the Royal Family treat each other to those as well. And yet one year, it’s said, things didn’t go to plan. One time, William revealed how an ‘awful’ gift to his wife left her baffled.

The Royal Family’s Christmas break is more needed this time around than in many years. With King Charles and Kate Middleton both undergoing cancer treatment throughout the year, it’s been challenging not only for them, but for the entire monarchy. Fortunately, things are now looking better. Kate Middleton has declared she is cancer-free, while King Charles’ treatment is moving in the right direction despite the fact it will continue into 2025.

Kate has largely kept away from public life this year, but one event she never misses is her annual Christmas Concert. Every year, she’s accompanied by her husband and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

In a letter addressed to the guests of the concert, the Princess of Wales explained that Christmas “is one of my favourite times of the year” as it’s “a time for celebration and joy, but it also gives us the opportunity to slow down and reflect on the deeper things that connect us all.

“It is when we stop and take ourselves away from the pressures of daily life that we find the space to live our lives with an open heart, with love, kindness and forgiveness – so much of what the Christmas spirit is all about.

“The Christmas story encourages us to consider the experiences and feelings of others. It also reflects our own vulnerabilities and reminds us of the importance of giving and receiving empathy, as well as just how much we need each other in spite of our differences.”

How the Royal Family are celebrating Christmas

She added: “Above all else, it encourages us to turn to love, not fear. The love we show ourselves and the love we show others. Love that listens with empathy, love that is kind and understanding, love that is forgiving and love that brings joy and hope.”

“It is this love which is the greatest gift we can receive,” the Princess of Wales concluded.

“Not just at Christmas but every day of our lives. Love something we can offer one another. Gentle words or a receptive car, an arm around an exhausted the light that can shine bright, even in our darkest times.”

Christmas is a magical time, especially when you are a child. This year’s royal holiday schedule will, of course, include many children. Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis have all been at Sandringham, and they had their cousins to play with.

Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall and her husband Mike brought their three children, Mia, 7, Lena, 3, and 10-month-old Lucas, to Sandringham. In 2021, during an interview with Radio Marsden, Prince William explained that his children love spending time and playing with their cousins during Christmas.

“When I see my children meet up with my cousins’ children, and they all have a wonderful time playing together, it’s very special,” William said.

“So I look forward to that a lot and obviously Christmas is a new dynamic when you have children, suddenly it’s a whole different ball game when you have the noise and excitement, so I’m enjoying the new version of Christmas in my life.”

Prince William and Kate Middleton have “learned to take nothing for granted”

The Prince of Wales added: “I think generally, for me, bringing the family together at Christmas time is always lovely because we’re quite spread out doing our things a lot of the time during the year, and so we get very few moments to come together.”

As stated, William and Kate have experienced an incredibly tough 2024. Kate’s cancer battle meant the family had to adjust their life in full, and the princess left public life to focus on her recovery. She announced some time ago that she is cancer-free, and while it was fantastic news, this year has changed the Waleses’ view on life. In November, William admitted that 2024 has been “dreadful,” branding it as the “hardest year” of their lives.

According to an In Touch Magazine source, the couple have “learned to take nothing for granted.” After a rough year, they wanted to make this year’s Christmas “really special” for their children.

“They’re determined to appreciate every minute of this holiday season and make it really special for their kids,” the source said. “Obviously, having their mom healthy is all they ever wished for,” they continued, adding that William and Kate were “planning to lavish the kids with presents.”

While William and Kate enjoy spending time with their larger family, this year’s Christmas is also about having quiet moments just for them and their children. For example, one Christmas tradition for William and Kate includes taking their dogs for a walk away from the rest of the family.

“They’ll also spend plenty of quality time together. The prince and princess and their three children are truly celebrating making it through this extremely difficult year and being together,” the In Touch Magazine source concluded.

Prince William & Kate Middleton to ‘ax’ royal tradition?

For the Royal Family, this year – with all that has happened – was probably the most important gatherings in years. On Christmas morning, the royals made their traditional Christmas procession to St Mary Magdalene Church, where well-wishers were able to greet the Royal Family along the way and give them gifts.

The traditional walk is one of the few “royal engagements,” the family has during the holidays, and it was implemented by the late Queen Elizabeth II in the 1980s as she preferred to walk to church rather than drive.

However, with a new and new modern era arriving, that might change. King Charles is known to have a desire to modernize the monarchy, and the same can be said of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The fact that Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis don’t spend Christmas with their grandparents on their mother’s side seems to have caused the Prince and Princess of Wales some headaches.

Daily Mail’s Ephraim Hardcastle claims in his columns that William and Kate are considering adopting a new Christmas routine. In the future, they could alternate between spending the holidays with both sets of grandparents and staying with the Middletons every other Christmas break, instead of only at Sandringham.

Like millions of families worldwide, the Royal Family has its own traditions at Christmas time, from hunting and eating specific meals to watching the monarch’s speech and exchanging presents.

Prince William got funny Christmas gift from Meghan

Though Kate, William, Charles, Camilla, and other royals might seem strict in public, things are different when they spend time 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 the family members. For example, in 2016, Kate reportedly gave Harry a “Grow Your Own Girfriend” kit before he met Meghan – and William once gave the Queen a pair of personalized slippers with her face.

It’s said Meghan Markle, who made her debut at Christmas with the Royal Family only a month after her engagement to Prince Harry, 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.

But when it came to William, Meghan was unsure. According to authors Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobiee, her “biggest challenge was finding the perfect novelty gifts to amuse her new extended family.” That’s when she came up with quite the present for William.

“At least one of her gifts was a huge hit—a spoon for William that had ‘cereal killer’ embossed on the shallow bowl end of the utensil,” they wrote in Finding Freedom.

Prince William’s ‘awful’ Christmas gift to Kate “didn’t go well”

Moreover, Scobie and Durand revealed that Harry once gave his grandmother, the Queen, a shower cap that read “Ain’t life a b***h.” Another person being handed a comedic present was Charles, with his sister, Princess Anne, giving him a leather toilet seat cover.

William and Kate naturally had plenty of Christmas shopping to do before the holidays, not least because they have three children. This can often be a daunting task… just ask the Prince of Wales.

Today, William and Kate know everything about each other and most likely exchange meaningful presents at Christmas. But early in their relationship, it wasn’t exactly easy to know what the other might want.

While appearing on former footballer Peter Crouch’s podcast on BBC Radio Five Live, Prince William revealed that he once gave his now-wife an ‘awful’ Christmas present that she promised to “never let him forget it.”

“I did get my wife a pair of binoculars once – she’s never let me forget that. That was early on in the courtship that was – I think that sealed the deal. It didn’t go well. Honestly, I have no idea why I bought her a pair of binoculars, it seemed like a good idea at the time,” William said.

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