From visits to Father Christmas to family board games and festive film nights, the Prince and Princess of Wales make Christmas as fun and down-to-earth as possible for their children
"Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year," Kate revealed in a letter shared with guests attending her annual carol concert at Westminster Abbey last year. "It is a time for celebration and joy but it also gives us the opportunity to slow down and reflect on the deeper things that connect us all."
While the whole family are in the spotlight for her Together At Christmas event in early December, at home they enjoy the same festive traditions as families everywhere. The children are encouraged to get stuck in to seasonal baking and cooking, plus arts and crafts.
In 2023, William and Kate were spotted picking out a Christmas tree with George and Charlotte in Windsor Great Park. The couple also treated all three children to a magical day at Lapland UK in Ascot, complete with elves, reindeer and toy-making workshops – and over the years they've been seen enjoying ice skating and Christmas fairs.
This year, the family is hoping they’ll be able to hang up Christmas decorations in their new home, Forest Lodge, on the Windsor estate – heralding a new start for 2026.
But as ever, they will spend Christmas Day at Sandringham in Norfolk with the wider royal family, where the King and Queen host the traditional festivities. Last year was one of the largest gatherings yet, with William revealing that 45 people sat down for lunch.
The Prince has often spoken warmly about how precious those shared moments are. "For me, generally, bringing the family together at Christmastime is always lovely because we're quite spread out doing our things a lot of the time throughout the year. We get very few moments to actually come together.
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"When I see my children meet up with my cousins’ children, and they all have a wonderful time playing together, it's very special. So I look forward to that a lot," he said in a radio interview in 2021.
At Sandringham, William and Kate base themselves at Anmer Hall, their country house on the estate, taking George, 12, Charlotte, ten, and Louis, seven, across each day to the main house to join the rest of the family for the festivities.
"It’s great for them as they feel so comfortable and relaxed in their own home, so they get the best of both worlds," a royal insider told hello! last year.
The couple also cherish their own family rituals when they’re together at this time of year. "We’re playing board games with the children quite a lot. We love Monopoly, that’s good. And Risk, that’s a good game. It goes on for hours, and usually everybody gets very cross because they lose," William once admitted.
Another firm favourite is watching the Christmas classic Elf, starring Will Ferrell. "It’s very funny and I keep watching it every Christmas, it still makes me laugh."
Music also plays a part in their festivities, and William has revealed his favourite Christmas song is the upbeat classic Feliz Navidad. "It’s a bit different," he laughed during a festive radio appearance, "but I love it — it always puts a smile on my face."
The Waleses also carve out time with Kate’s family over the festive period. Her mother, Carole Middleton, has revealed that she keeps an extra Christmas tree in her home especially for her grandchildren to decorate when they visit.
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