Princess Charlotte and Prince George once broke huge royal Christmas tradition
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Many royal traditions have stood the test of time for decades - but sometimes the customary rules are broken. It's well known that the Royal Family usually celebrates Christmas on the country estate of Sandringham, and it's a very traditional day, with some of their customs harking back to their German heritage. This means family gifts are officially exchanged on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day - a custom introduced by Prince Albert.
The Princess of Wales once let slip that her eldest two, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, broke this royal tradition and opened their presents a day later. On December 25, 2018, Kate told a royal fan outside the church on the estate that her children were "up very early" to open their gifts - leaving many people confused.
Former royal chef Darren McGrady previously said: "The royals are of German descent so they weave in German traditions to their celebrations. After afternoon tea, they open gifts on Christmas Eve, as is the German tradition." It is customary for the royals to lay out all their gifts on different tables, so each guest has their own little pile.
It's not known if the German tradition has stopped in recent years or if William and Kate's brood simply opened their family gifts on December 24 and then their presents from Father Christmas on December 25. Either way, it isn't the only festive custom the Waleses have broken in their time.
One year, the children swapped their traditional Christmas with the royals for a "riotous" dinner with the Middletons. In 2016, before Prince Louis was born, George and Charlotte enjoyed a more "informal" Christmas Day with Kate's side of the family, before joining William's for Boxing Day.
