Boxing Day is a time to relax and spend time with loved ones, and Prince William, Princess Kate and their children are likely to enjoy the day in Carole Middleton’s £5 million estate.
Many people will know that is it a tradition for the Royal Family to spend Christmas at their Sandringham estate in Norfolk, which also includes an annual church service at St Mary Magdelene in which the royals will also do a walkabout to greet members of the public.
However, Prince William and Princess Kate have opted in the past to leave the royal holiday home on Boxing Day to travel to spend time with Kate’s parents Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton.
It is unknown for the Prince and Princess of Wales’ plan will be this year, but both Kate and William have the option to spend their holidays at Bucklebury Manor in Berkshire, where both Carole and Michael have lived since 2012.
The Middleton’s 18-acre house also features seven bedrooms, and five reception rooms, including an entrance hall, a drawing room, a dining room, a library, a sitting room and a conservatory which feature huge floor-to-ceiling windows.
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It has been estimated that the Georgian home is worth between £4.5 million and £5 million and is around an hour’s drive from Kate and William’s home Adelaide Cottage.
While the home was bought while all Middleton children were adults, it still appears to be a place of happy memories for them.
Kate spent time at Bucklebury Manor during her final weeks pregnant with Prince George while her sister Pippa Middleton decided to have her wedding reception in the home’s massive greenhouse when she married in 2017.
In March this year, Kate’s brother James Middleton shared a picture on social media of all his puppies posing in front of his parent’s cream fireplace, in which the dogs were sitting on some fluffy grey rugs.
In an interview with Good Housekeeping, Carole revealed that her favourite room in her home is her kitchen as “it’s the heart of the house.”
The room is fitted with a white Aga oven and Carole explained that the open floorplan means the area is perfect whenever she is hosting guests.
Carole said: “I love a kitchen supper, where I have a small number of guests…I’ll cook something delicious and I make it look lovely, then we’ll finish with a kitchen disco.”
It is unknown if the Middleton have any Boxing Day traditions, but when it comes to Christmas, Carole has revealed she prioritises coming up with activities which are all about family and especially the children.
In an interview with the Telegraph, Carole revealed it is a Middleton tradition for all her grandchildren to decorate a tree for her.
She said: “Once again this year we plan to have two Christmas trees: one for the children to decorate and one which I do myself. My beloved tree-top angel is looking a little worse for wear after years of service so it’s time to invest in something new.”
On Instagram in 2020, Carole also stated that it is very important for her to spend time with family, but the Middleton’s usual Christmas tree decoration activity had to be cancelled during the pandemic.
She wrote: “For me, what really matters is that my family feels connected. I normally let my grandchildren help me decorate the tree.
“This year, I’ll ask them by video call to decide which decoration should go where. It may need to be tastefully rearranged later…!”
In an interview with Good Housekeeping, Carole revealed that she is very “hands-on” when it comes to all her grandchildren.
She said: “I want to run down the hills, climb the trees and go through the tunnel at the playground. As long as I am able to, that’s what I’ll be doing. I cook with them, I muck around dancing, we go on bike rides.”
