Staff working for the Royal Family over Christmas would be traditionally given the same gift by Queen Elizabeth every year, and it can be bought for just £6 in Tesco. Every year Her Late Majesty would spend around £9,000 altogether on the presents, something which George VI and George V would do before her.
She would buy them a Christmas pudding each from Tesco, having previously purchased them from Fortnum & Mason but switching to the popular supermarket as buying 1,500 puddings is quite the expense.
The Queen typically bought each staff member a Tesco Finest Matured Christmas Pudding, which is sold for £6, and would also send them a greetings card.
A source told The Mail: “About 1,500 Christmas puddings paid for by The Queen (through the Privy Purse) are distributed to staff throughout the Palaces, staff in the Court Post Office and Palace police. Each pudding is accompanied by a greeting card from The Queen.”
The Royal Family need to do their Christmas shopping just like everyone else, but one London department store took measures to make sure the Queen could browse their wares undisturbed.
In her book Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown, Lady Anne Glenconner recalled a visit to Australia with Princess Margaret in 1975 when one diplomat was surprised at the Princess’s request to go shopping.
Lady Glenconner explained to him: “Actually, the Queen goes shopping. She recently went to Harrods to choose some Christmas presents. My mother is a Lady of the Bedchamber and she went with her.”
Former royal butler Paul Burrell also gave an insight into how the late Queen liked to do her Christmas shopping when she could not get to Harrods.
He told Closer magazine: “Firstly, she has catalogues sent to her, and then the Oxford Street branch of John Lewis sends her a selection of almost everything they stock.
“There is a little ‘shop’ set up in the drawing room at Windsor Castle and the Queen can pop in and choose gifts at her leisure. Late at night, after dinner, usually around 10pm, she’ll pop into her little Christmas shop and do some shopping.
“The Queen always chooses practical gifts that can be used – never ornaments or decorative things. So she might pick some picnic plates, a tablecloth, or a couple of hand towels. Then they are wrapped up and a truckload of presents are ready to go to Sandringham.”
