King Charles could be set to “loosen” the royal rules surrounding the family’s festive visit to Sandringham this year, it has been reported.
The royal, who will celebrate his 76th birthday later this week, may not “rip up the royal royal book” when it comes to Christmas at the Norfolk estate, but may ease some of the current traditions set for the family over that period, one expert believes.
As the late Queen arrived at the estate after the 100-mile train journey from London, she would oversee a strict 72-hour festive timetable. This would include precise time slots for who was to arrive on Christmas Eve.
Much like his late mother, the King and Queen Camilla are expected to arrive at Sandringham on December 24 and will wait for his guests to follow.
Speaking to the Mirror, royal expert Duncan Larcombe said: “I don’t think Charles will exactly rip up the rule book, but there’s a strong chance he’ll loosen some of the rules.
“I think a lot of the more stoic aspects of Christmas were down to the Duke of Edinburgh, who was a stickler for timings. But I think the King is more relaxed about these things.”
Although the family will likely follow tradition of opening presents on Christmas Eve, the royal may enjoy some relaxed rules.
Speaking on the dining experience at Christmas, the expert added: “Traditionally they’ve never been allowed to engage in political talk over dinner, and they can’t leave the table until the monarch does. But again, those protocols may be gently phased out by Charles now.”
Discussing Christmas, Prince William previously spoke on the sense of togetherness at this time of year. He said: “It’s always lovely because we’re quite spread out doing our things a lot of the time throughout the year.
When I see my children meet up with some of my cousins’ children and they will have a wonderful time playing together, it’s very special.”
Although a majority of the family will be at Sandringham this Christmas, one expert claims that Prince Harry has reportedly not been invited to join them.
As reported by The Sun, former royal correspondent Emily Andrews previously wrote in Woman: “Prince Harry is keen to spend the Christmas holidays in the UK with his wife and children — but Meghan wants to stay in the US. It’s a tricky time for Harry — he hasn’t spent Christmas here for six years and he could be forgiven for feeling rather lonely and estranged from his Windsor relatives.”
