The King and Queen are preparing to host their relatives at Sandringham once again this year, with the royals set to follow a number of long-standing traditions.
As well as opening their presents on Christmas Eve, a nod to their German ancestry from Prince Albert, and multiple outfit changes across three days of festivities, there's a bizarre rule that the royals still follow.
"There's an unspoken rule for guests: do not arrive late. There is no grace period," royal author Robert Jobson tells HELLO! in this week's edition. "After completing the odd custom, dating back to Edward VII, of being weighed on antique jockey's scales, guests are on the clock."
Queen Victoria bought the Sandringham estate for her son, Edward VII, who reigned from 1901 to 1910, as a country home for him and his bride, Princess Alexandra, in 1862. Edward completely transformed the estate and there are still lots of his influences that remain in Sandringham House today, including the antique jockey's scales.
The bizarre tradition of the royals being weighed when they arrived and when they left to ensure that guests had all eaten well and had put on weight, was confirmed by Sandringham's then house administrator, Gill Pattinson, on an episode of Crown and Country. The current Duke of Edinburgh, starred in the series from 1998 and 2001, when he ran his own production company, Ardent Productions.
Christmas Eve traditions
Speaking more about the royal family's festive routine, Robert adds: "They change for a formal lunch, served by royal staff in the dining room. Afterwards, most go on an afternoon walk – one of the few moments when the schedule loosens up. But even then, they are on a timer. By 5pm, everyone must be back for afternoon tea."
On Christmas Eve, gifts are exchanged, with presents arranged on trestle tables. Many of the King's relatives have shared insights into the family's traditions, including the Duke of Sussex.
Despite stepping back as a senior royal in 2020, Harry opened up in his memoir, Spare, about how he and Meghan still continue the royal family's tradition of opening their presents on Christmas Eve.
Reflecting on Christmas 2020, the Duke shared: "We took Archie to find a Christmas tree. A pop-up lot in Santa Barbara. We bought one of the biggest spruces they had. We brought it home, set it up in the living room. Magnificent. We stood back, admiring, counting our blessings. New home. Healthy boy."
He continued: "It was Christmas Eve. We FaceTimed with several friends, including a few in Britain. We watched Archie running around the tree. And we opened presents. Keeping to the Windsor family tradition."
At the Battle of the Commentators charity lunch last year, the King's niece, Zara Tindall, also confirmed that the royals wear black-tie for dinner together on Christmas Eve.
"We give presents to each other on Christmas Eve," the mum-of-three said, "As adults, we still have stockings on Christmas Day."