Prince William revealed last week he will spend Christmas with 45 members of his family ‘all in one room’.
Those invited to Sandringham can look forward to a mixture of the traditional and some festive fun of the Royal Family’s own making.
Members of The Firm open their presents on Christmas Eve in a nod to the family’s German origins.
They lay out their gifts on trestle tables and exchange them at teatime – and are known to enjoy giving each other novelty presents, typically buying things that are cheap and will make people laugh rather than spending a lot on big, lavish gifts.
The following day, the Royals attend the service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate, where they are greeted by well-wishers, before returning for a traditional lunch of roast turkey and all the trimmings.
They sit down ready to eat at 1.15pm sharp, according to Queen Elizabeth II’s former chef Darren McGrady, who catered for Christmas at Sandringham frequently in the 1980s and 1990s.
On Christmas night, they are said to play parlour games including charades and bingo.
