Inside the Queen’s Annual Christmas Lunch at Buckingham Palace
Today, various members of the British royal family put on their festive best and headed to Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth’s annual Christmas lunch. There was the Duke and Duchess of Sussex; the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with two of their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte; Prince Philip; Princess Eugenie; Zara Tindall; and of course, the Queen herself.
It’s the largest Windsor gathering of the holiday season, as not all can travel to Sandringham for the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations. Typically, around 40 to 50 extended family members attend the Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.
No pictures are released from inside the event (especially frustrating for ardent royal fashion watchers, who only get glimpses of the frocks and jewels from Range Rover windows). But over the years, some details have emerged.
On the menu is a traditional turkey with all the trimmings. And although nothing at Buckingham Palace can quite be deemed as relaxed, some fun does happen: The Daily Mail reported last year that Meghan Markle pulled a Christmas cracker with Prince Charles, put on the paper party hat found inside, and read out a joke.
It’s also said that the Queen gives a small present to the young children at the event.
For royal significant others, it’s a big deal to get invited. Despite dating Prince William for years, Kate Middleton only attended once she was engaged to Prince William in 2010. “This is the first time she really met the entire royal family in one place together at the same time, and royal experts say it had to be an extremely daunting experience. People reporter Suzannah Zuckerman told The Today Show at the time, “There’s so much etiquette, there’s so much decorum, there’s so much that can go wrong.” (And things do. Last year, the event was mired in scandal when Princess of Michael of Kent wore a racist blackamoor brooch. She later apologized.)
The decor at Buckingham Palace is also something to behold. In the Marble Hall, there are three large fir trees dressed in crown and carriage ornaments, as well as ornate garlands.
And, with the festivities at Sandringham on the horizon, the royal Christmas season continues apace.
