25 December 2023 , 13:28
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The royal family are associated with opulence, palaces, multi-million pound jewels and huge banquets – but at Christmas they are very traditional.
There will be no lavish menu or exotic dishes, in fact, it is quite likely that they will be eating what many families in Britain will enjoy at home. For a kick-off, their festivities begin on Christmas Eve. Family members invited to Sandringham will be allocated staggered arrival times and as with public engagements, times reflects status – junior members arrive first and the most senior members last.
After exchanging presents and decorating the tree, the family don formal attire for the Christmas Eve dinner, where all guests are expected to wear black-tie or evening gowns. You would expect to see a six-course, candle-lit meal, with the menu often written in French – but given King Charles has embraced a certain amount of modernity, he may decide that a less formal occasion is more appropriate.
King Charles may well decide to change some of the culinary traditions of the royal family (Getty Images)According to Nottinghamshire royal chef Darren McGrady, who worked for the late Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana and has cooked around seven Christmas dinners for the royal family during his career, one strange tradition is that the men and women eat separate breakfasts. Again, King Charles may not allow this early-morning ceremony and opt for something more in keeping with his own viewpoint.
However, Mr McGrady, 61, told NDTV that under the late Queen, while the men were served a full English breakfast, including eggs, bacon, mushrooms, kippers, and grilled kidneys, the royal ladies enjoy a light breakfast of "sliced fruit, half a grapefruit, toast, and coffee delivered to their rooms". The family then visit the church before returning for lunch.
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Once breakfast and the visit to church is over, there is the Sandringham Christmas lunch, which traditionally consists of a shrimp or lobster salad starter, followed by roasted turkey and all the trimmings. And for pudding, it is, of course, Christmas pudding with brandy butter.
And about their main meal, Mr McGrady added: "It was the same meal every year. They're boring when it comes to festivities. We did three turkeys for the Queen and her family in the royal dining room, one for the children's nursery, and then more for the 100 or so staff, so everyone had a Christmas lunch."
The turkey is served with mashed and roast potatoes, chestnut or sage and onion stuffing, cranberry sauce, and bread sauce. Vegetables include Brussels sprouts, carrots, and roast parsnips. Drinks in past years have included a classic gin and dubonnet cocktail, and a glass of Gewurztraminer – German white wine – however, that also may change under King Charles' reign.
They would then have a traditional Christmas pudding ''decorated in holly, doused in brandy, and the palace steward would carry it, flaming, into the Royal dining room.'' Once that meal has settled, their festive feasting continues with their own version of an evening turkey buffet. Mr McGrady explained: "Right before the Christmas buffet, the senior chef on duty goes into the dining room and carves the rib roast or turkey or ham."