What Meghan Markle can expect at royal Christmas with the Queen

Harry and Meghan will spend their first Christmas as an engaged couple at Sandringham.
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Robert Jobson15 December 2017

Every year The Queen hosts Christmas for her children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren at her Norfolk estate, Sandringham, her country retreat - what she would term a ‘small’ crowd of around 25 guests.

This year one of those guests will be Prince Harry’s American actress bride to be Meghan Markle, who will be the first royal fiancée to join the Queen’s table.

Traditionally you would not get an invite unless you were already hitched.

But as Meghan is living with Harry at Nottingham Cottage, Kensington Palace, and has already done her first royal walkabout it was rightly deemed daft to leave her off the list.

With military precision, the royals show up on Christmas Eve, in order of rank, with Prince Charles as heir apparent and the Duchess of Cornwall arrive last. Charles sometimes brings his own supplies, often a hamper of organic food from Highgrove.

Christmas with the Queen: The engaged couple will join Her Majesty at Sandringham.

Among the royals expected to go to Sandringham on Christmas Eve now are Prince William and Kate, ehe Duke of York and his daughters Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence and Prince Edward with his wife, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, and their children, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn.

The royals who stay in the big house have to well prepared, bringing loads of luggage because Christmas royal style involves up to seven costume changes for church, meals, dog walking and shooting.

It is not known if Meghan will be staying with the Queen or the Cambridges at nearby Anmer Hall, which will make it all rather more relaxed.

Christmas Eve is big news for the Royals - when there is a throwback to their German heritage.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement announcement

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All the Royals gather to decorate the tree, play charades - The Queen’s favourite game - which shouldn’t bother an accomplished actress like the Suits star Meghan.

They then swap ‘cheap and cheerful’ gifts, the more absurd the better. ‘Grow your own girlfriend’ kits, padded loo seats and rubber chickens have all raised a right royal giggle in the past.

At around 4pm guests enter the white Drawing Room for tea. The next stop is the red Drawing Room, where the staff has already laid out the presents on trestle tables for each family member.

What do you get those who have practically everything? Novelties and gimmicks. The crazier and the more quirky is what they love.

Harry and Meghan announcing their engagement at Kensington Palace.
Getty Images

Princess Diana got upset once because she bought cashmere sweaters and she thought that would be nice, but they don’t do that.

For all the glitz and glamour Meghan Markle might have tasted, the Victorian splendour of Sandringham House in Norfolk this Christmas will be unlike anything she has experienced.

Around 4pm the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and other royals usually congregate in the White Drawing Room at Sandringham House the day before Christmas to put the finishing touches to a 20ft (6m) spruce tree cut from the 1,000 acre estate.

Christmas trees were not introduced by Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria but it is he who popularised them. In 1841 he introduced an illuminated tree to Windsor Castle to celebrate the Queen's first son, Bertie, who later became Edward VI.

Over sandwiches without crusts, home-baked scones and Earl Grey tea, the Master of the Household will give each member a timetable and room-plan so they know where to marshal themselves and when over the weekend.

Presents are placed on a white line covered trestle table in the red drawing room, with cards marking exactly where the piles of gifts should be put.

Tapes mark out sections for each family member and any of the Queen's household who is on duty for the weekend. This includes a lady-in-waiting and an equerry.

The gifts may be inexpensive but the wrapping of each one is exquisite

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle

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Unusually Christmas presents are opened on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas Day, a legacy of the German heritage of the monarchy.

During a walkabout the Duchess of Cambridge once revealed that she was left stumped over what to buy the Queen for Christmas.

For weeks now, upwards of 100 staff members have been preparing a days-long sumptuous house party for George’s parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the extended family.

Nothing much has changed over the years.

After the gift swap comes time for the first major change of outfit for Kate and the other guests prior to the meal.

Normally, at 8:30p.m., this involves something festive, some game, like pheasant or venison, and roasted wintery vegetables, like parsnips.

Breakfast on Christmas morning is a full-on fry up for the men – bacon and sausage, kippers and kidneys, juices and cereals. The women will normally have fruit and perhaps a boiled egg taken to their rooms on trays.

The church service follows at St. Mary Magdalene. On her first Christmas as a member of royal family, in 2011, Kate with William joined the Queen for a morning service at 9 and then again at 11, when the entire family parades to the church.

The head chef, accompanied by some of his team, carve the first of two 25lb. turkeys at the buffet in the dining room, with the Queen first in line. “At the end of the carving, it’s the one time of the year that she would give the head chef a drink, and he will toast [the family] with ‘Happy Christmas.

There is also a buffet of foie gras, boar’s head, venison and salmon trout.

Once everyone has sat down with their meat, the butlers will come around with their Brussels sprouts with fresh roasted chestnut and roast potatoes. Dessert is two Christmas puddings and brandy sauce, mince pies and hard butter.

The dining room table seats 22, just enough space for the adults and older children.

After lunch the family will watch the Queen’s annual address to the nation, which airs at 3 p.m. U.K. time, before adjourning either to the Saloon, where the Queen’s favourite jigsaw puzzles are laid out.

On Boxing Day Prince Philip takes charge with a pheasant shoot on the Queen’s 20,000 estate. After that the royals start going there own ways, Charles usually heads of to Scotland for the New Year.

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