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After a year marked by a continued chilly relationship with Prince Harry and ongoing cancer treatment, the royal family’s Christmas will do one thing differently this year that will “mean the world” to King Charles III, claims an expert.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond (she must have got day-release from MI6) told OK that the family deciding to host 45 people for Christmas at the cozy yet extravagant Sandringham estate is going to delight Charles.
Bond said, “After the year they’ve had, I’m sure it’s going to mean the world to the King and Queen to have as many of their family as possible joining them for Christmas. And, as the number of youngsters increases, so the celebrations become more and more child-oriented. Which is exactly what Christmas should be all about.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton share three children: George, Charlotte, and Louis. Their younger cousins, Archie and Lilibet, are not expected to join the festivities, owing to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle likely celebrating in Montecito, California in their U.S. home.
Bond added that the Prince and Princess of Wales will spend some time alone with their immediate family in Anmer Hall, “If [Kate]’s parents are there, they will certainly stay at Anmer Hall. I’m not sure Catherine would yet feel up to hosting a huge crowd at the Hall, so I imagine it would just be close family. The Yorks would be at Wood Farm.”
She also thinks this December will be especially important to show a unified front, as health issues and international travel controversies have plagued the family’s 2024. “But whoever stays where, I’m sure this will be a Christmas when the whole family will want to unite around Charles and Camilla, and William and Catherine, to help put this year behind them and cheer them into a brighter year ahead.”
William revealed that intimidating 45 guests detail at an event in Wiltshire. He said, “We’ll be in Norfolk, at Sandringham. We’ll be 45 for Christmas. It won’t be quiet, it will be noisy.” He joked with one family, “Am I ready for Christmas? No, no way am I ready.” He’ll be panic-buying online next week, just like us.
William and Kate reportedly are focusing their efforts on a quieter Christmas, probably inspired by a rough year for Kate, who finished chemotherapy in late 2024, and the continued media circus surrounding Harry. They’re even set to ditch a royal family Christmas tradition dating back centuries; they’ll forgo the traditional gift exchange on Christmas Eve, opting for the more normal Dec. 25 option.
The Daily Beast‘s source claimed this order came from Kate, who “has always found the presents on Christmas Eve thing weird. It is definitely going to be got rid of when they are officially running things. I imagine it will continue this year at Sandringham in some shape or form but everything is going to be much more relaxed.”
The house is on a 20,000-acre estate in Norfolk, around 100 miles north of the bustling London capital. There’s lots of landscaping, natural scenery, and privacy. It’s open to visitors whenever it’s not being used as a private country escape for royals. Just don’t turn up on Christmas day; William is unlikely to add a 46th seat at the table.