Usually, the British royal family spends the holiday season at Sandringham Castle. And for the New Year, Her Majesty has several traditions that she loves to observe. As The British Express reports, there is one tradition in particular that Lady Diana hated.
The British Royal Family full of traditions for the end of year celebrations. There is the traditional Christmas pudding, the recipe of which Prince George knows like the back of his hand. But also the greeting cards, which the Windsors enjoy sharing with their subjects. Impossible not to mention that of Kate Middleton and Prince William of this year, which completely melted Internet users. While no one expected to see that of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, the Sussexes surprised everyone by sharing it and revealing the face of their daughter Lilibet for the very first time. An image that allowed the couple to find a place in the hearts of Internet users.
Why didn’t the royal family come to Sandringham for Christmas?
Every Christmas, Queen Elizabeth II meets up with her family at Sandringham Castle. The exchange of gifts takes place on December 24 around 6 p.m., and the small troop goes to mass in St. Mary Magdalene Church December 25th. Except that because of the health crisis, Her Majesty had to make the difficult decision to cancel this tradition for the second consecutive year. The Queen stayed at Windsor Castle, from where she recorded her usual December 25 televised speech. A speech in which His Majesty paid a heartbreaking tribute to her husband Prince Philip, who died on April 9 at the age of 99. Usually, the Queen remains in Sandringham until the middle of February, surrounded by her Christmas decorations, to honor the memory of her father who died on February 6, 1952.
“She would apologize and go to bed”
The transition to the New Year is also a time of festivities within the royal family. Surrounded by her relatives, the queen enjoys playing games with them, such as “Lucky Dip”. A game that consists of plunge your hand into a pile of papers, and to draw the predictions for the coming year. Except that as Brian Hoey, author of At Home with the Queen and quoted by Express.coLady Diana was not particularly fond of these games. And even less of a tradition dear to His Majesty. When ring the 12 strokes of midnight and the transition to the new year, Queen Elizabeth II goes to bed first, followed by her guests. A tradition that the late Princess of Wales did not appreciate at all.
“For Diana, the long royal evenings were agony”, Says Sir William Heseltine in theExpress British. The Queen’s former private secretary from 1986 to 1990 maintains that “no one thought it was normal to go to bed before the queen”. A rule that Lady Diana did not respect which “was taken to such extremes that she would apologize and go to bed”. Mother of two young children, the ex-wife of Prince Charles could not stay awake until midnight. Princess of Wales okay, but mom first!