As festivities begin to get into full swing, it looks like Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales’ Christmas may look more “normal” soon.
Following royal tradition, the Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to spend Christmas at the Sandringham Estate. They will reportedly be with King Charles, and other members of the family.
Their usual festivities apparently include joke gifts, attending church and playing board games. But it seems there is one activity that may be missing for William and Kate’s Christmas.
William and Kate’s ‘normal’ Christmas
In a tradition that dates back to Queen Victoria’s time, the royals apparently exchange their gifts on Christmas Eve. It was followed by the late Queen Elizabeth II, as it was believed she preferred to keep Christmas Day for spiritual reflection.
However it seems Kate and William could remove that completely as a royal expert told OK! they would prefer to celebrate in a “more normal way”.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond explained: “I don’t think they worry particularly about how they’re perceived at Christmas but I do think that Catherine and William want to do things in a more normal way.”
Providing a look at previous Christmases, Jennie added they “have their own home close to Sandringham” which meant they have always had their own traditions on Christmas morning.
According to Jennie, William and Kate would wake up in their own home with their kids, “do stockings and presents” before heading over “to the big house for the more formal celebrations”.
As one day William and Kate will be King and Queen, Jennie believes “a lot of traditions will change,” including the exchanging of presents on Christmas Eve.
One of the main reasons for this is because they seem to want a more normal life for their children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“This whole new generation of royal youngsters are having a different experience of royal life,” Jennie explained.
Jennie said: “You couldn’t get much more normal than Mike and Zara Tindall for example. And Edward and Sophie have brought their children up in a much more down to earth way. They expect them to find their own way in life. And Louise and James have had a relatively normal upbringing.”
Kate’s return to public eye
Of course, no matter how normal their parents try to get their lives, they are still part of the royal family. So a complete ordinary life seems out of the picture.
Kate’s Christmas this year is to be celebrated for more than one reason. Last year, Christmas Day was the last time she was publicly seen for a while. She underwent abdominal surgery in January 2024, before announcing her cancer diagnosis to the world in March of this year.
But in September, Kate announced she had finished her treatment and would begin to slowly enter back into her royal engagements.
Today, December 3, Kate took on her biggest public engagement since finishing her treatment.
She accompanied William to welcome the Emir of Qatar for his official state visit to the UK. She stood in for Queen Camilla, who has pneumonia.
On Friday December 6, Kate will also appear for her annual Christmas Carol Concert.
Read more: William and Kate ‘slept at home as masked burglars broke into Windsor estate’
ED! contacted reps for William and Kate for comment.
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