As the countdown to Christmas begins, many of us will be drawing up our Christmas card list and making sure we have enough stamps.
So spare a thought for King Charles and Queen Camilla, who send out so many cards that they started writing them during their summer break at Balmoral.
Camilla’s close friend Gyles Brandreth reveals that the couple, who send out an estimated 2,700 cards over the festive season, started tackling the mammoth task months ago.
“They have to send so many Christmas cards, which I think sometimes they write in the summer, when they’re on holiday,” Gyles tells HELLO! in this exclusive interview. “The private secretary brings them in and says, ‘Oh, here's another 100 Christmas cards.’”
© Michael RedinaLast year, Charles and Camilla’s personalised card featured their 20th wedding anniversary portrait, which had been taken in Rome earlier in the year. Inside was the message: “Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.”
On the royal Christmas card list
Gyles, who was at London St Pancras International station last week for the unveiling of its 11-metre-high German-style Christmas tree, is usually among the recipients of the royal Christmas card. He also receives an invitation to the King and Queen’s annual Christmas party.
© Getty ImagesThe author and broadcaster, who is known for his quirky knitted jumpers, says: “They usually give a lovely Christmas party at Clarence House, and I have been lucky enough to be there with lots of lovely people from their charities. There were no party hats last year, but there was a magnificent Christmas tree, and I did wear one of my jumpers.”
Gyles, who is a trustee of Camilla’s literary charity The Queen’s Reading Room, also explains how the royal family – specifically German-born Prince Albert - originally brought the German tradition of Christmas trees to Britain.
© WireImage“There was a picture of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with their Christmas tree, the first year that they had one, and in those days, what the royal family did, everyone wanted to do,” says Gyles, who has written three books about Christmas. “So, it became the thing that you had to have a Christmas tree because the Queen and Prince Albert had one. He wanted it because he brought a lot of his family traditions with him when he came to Britain, and Queen Victoria introduced Prince Albert to mince pies.
Royal Christmas traditions
“Another German tradition the royal family still follows is opening and sharing presents on Christmas Eve.”
Gyles, 78, was himself born in Germany, where his father worked for the Allied Control Commission after the war.
“I was brought up under a German Christmas tree and so, for me, it's thrilling that at St Pancras, gateway to Europe, we can have this amazing German Christmas tree showing the 16 different German regions.”
© Michael RedinaTelling how he celebrates Christmas with his wife Michele and their three children, he continues: “One of the Christmas traditions we have in our family is we add a different bauble every year. We will have at least 75 baubles that have been accumulated over the years.
“In the early days we used to have real candles, which wasn't unusual. All the decorations came from Germany, and my dad used his cigarette lighter to light the candles on the Christmas tree.
“This will not be happening at St Pancras,” he adds. “All it will be safe and secure.”
Gyles Brandreth joined the Christmas celebrations at St. Pancras following the reveal of the 2026 tree – a one-of-a-kind installation inspired by a traditional German Christmas pyramid and created in partnership with the German National Tourist Office and Hilton.
