The first Christmas without Elizabeth II at the royal residence of Sandringham in East Anglia will be less formal, say the experts quoted by the online edition of the Daily Mail. According to some, the royal family will not watch the King’s Christmas address on television.
Watching the monarch on TV is archaic. The focus will be on personal recollections, says former BBC royal correspondent Jenny Bond. According to her, Christmas has always been an official holiday for the family, during which individual members bowed to each other. “I’m sure King Charles will now record his speech a few days in advance. They will think about the loss.”
The royal family are expected to attend the service at St Mary Magdalen Church, which is located on the Sandringham estate.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the King had invited Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to join the family’s Christmas celebrations, despite no longer performing duties with the royal family. But a source close to the king said Meghan and Harry were unlikely to come.
It will be the first time Charles has hosted the family reunion at the Norfolk estate. The Prince and Princess of Wales will be there, staying at Anmer Hall, the house given to them by Queen Elizabeth II.
Other family members are likely to join the King and Queen consort on their way to church on Christmas morning.
The royal family made Sandringham their Christmas and New Year residence in 1988.
Although the family traditionally spends the holidays at the country estate, there has been a change in the usual celebration in recent years due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the publication notes.
