How will the royal family celebrate Christmas after Prince Andrew scandal – and will Meghan and Harry attend?
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The royal festivities begin on Christmas Eve, when the family exchanges presents. The past year has brought tough challenges for the royal family - but in an era of change and uncertainty, their Christmas celebrations remain a comforting constant. Tradition is the cornerstone of Christmas with the Windsors, with the routine and festive activities remaining largely the same for decades - even when the faces round the dinner table change.
![[The late Queen Elizabeth II famously hosted every Christmas at the family’s country estate in Norfolk since 1998]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/05/07/21/REINO_UNIDO-CORONACI%C3%93N-UN_A%C3%91O_85257.jpg)
This year’s guestlist will include the King, Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, along with Anne, Princess Royal and her family, as well as the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children. Notably absent will be the Duke of York, who has been convinced by his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, not to join the festivities to save Charles the awkwardness of uninviting him after his ties to an alleged Chinese spy came to light.
![[The royal family at Church on Christmas Day in Sandringham, Norfolk, last year (Joe Giddens/PA)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/10/16/1a5174f41f20b94e73ebb8de960d2d81Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzMzOTMwNTU0-2.74948127.jpg)
The late Queen Elizabeth II famously hosted every Christmas at the family’s country estate in Norfolk since 1998 – with her son King Charles continuing the tradition into his first years as monarch. The royal family usually leaves their respective residences just before Christmas and to head to Sandringham House, the late Queen’s country estate in Norfolk.
The sprawling 20,000 acre, 29 bedroom estate has a rich history within the family, with the house originally being built in 1870 by Queen Victoria for her son, Prince Albert Edward, who later became King Edward VII. Once they have all arrived, they meet in the house’s White Drawing Room to finish decorating the Christmas tree and in a nod to the family’s German heritage, they open their present’s on Christmas Eve.
