Christmas will be especially different for the royal family this year following the death of the Queen in September.
However, sometimes the late monarch broke with tradition over the festive season for personal reasons, as Mike Tindall once confirmed in an online interview.
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The I'm a Celebrity star spoke on the House of Rugby chat show a few years ago, when shared the heartfelt details of the "private" Christmas morning he and his wife, the Queen's eldest granddaughter Zara, spent with Her Majesty.
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The retired rugby player said that in 2016, he and Zara chose not to go to church at Sandringham as the royal family normally does after sadly experiencing a miscarriage the previous month. The Queen was feeling unwell, so also chose not to attend.
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In the 2018 interview, Mike said: "Christmas, two years ago, the Queen wasn't feeling very well so she didn't go to church.
© Photo: Getty ImagesMike always felt very welcomed by the Queen
"We'd obviously been through what we'd been through with our pregnancy, which we lost, so we did our own little private [gathering] just as a three."
Mike revealed that he tried to lighten the mood by wearing a bright red Christmas-patterned suit, although he wasn't sure if it was a good idea.
He went on: "I thought 'maybe I should be wearing something a little bit different today' but I was trying to raise the mood." A known fan of bright clothes herself, the Queen is unlikely to have disapproved!
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe couple paying tribute at the Queen's funeral
The dad-of-three is known to have had a great relationship with his grandmother-in-law, previously telling The Telegraph: "I can only say how kind they've been to me, and how welcoming they've been to me since joining the family. And how they've made my family welcome."
He added: "I've always felt part of it and I think that's down to what an amazing woman the Queen is. They're a fantastic family."
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