After the British royals had to forego their traditional Christmas party last year due to the pandemic, the royal family should return to Sandringham in 2021. Only the Sussexes are not expected – for Lilibet and Archie, completely different festive days are ahead.
It’s a question that has been in the room for months: Will Prince Harry, 37, and Duchess Meghan, 40, spend Christmas in Sandringham together with the Royals? Experts and the media no longer assume that the Sussex family will leave for England for the holidays – the corona pandemic continues to make traveling difficult.
For Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, 2, it means that he’ll miss another royal family Christmas. The Mini-Royal has never been able to celebrate in the presence of his grandfather Prince Charles, 73, or his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth, 95 – quite the opposite of his cousins.
This is where the Royals’ Christmas parties differ
1. Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis celebrate Christmas several times
The biggest difference between Christmas in Montecito and Sandringham is obviously the number of guests. While Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3, celebrate in the presence of their parents, grandparents and great-grandmother, the Sussexes’ holidays are shorter. Archie’s first Christmas 2019 took place in Canada; In addition to his parents, Megha’s mother Doria Regland, 65, visited her grandson. Archie is used to enjoying a family celebration.
It looks different with his cousins and his cousin. Prince Williams children traditionally celebrate with the royal family. After Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, the Cambridges head to Kate’s family, where Carole Middleton, 66, gives her grandchildren another party. There, too, the three offspring are surrounded by relatives. Duchess Catherine’s sister Pippa now has two children. In addition to the two celebrations with loved ones, Kate and William have developed the tradition of spending an evening only with the three royal offspring. This year it will be the first time for little Archie that he has a little playmate: Sister Lilibet Diana, 6 months.
2. Archie and Lilibet will spend Christmas at a crisp 14 degrees
While Archie Schnee has already got to know, Lilibet Diana will spend her first Christmas at a comfortably warm 14 degrees, which have been announced for Christmas Eve in Montecito. Well, even Princess Charlotte will certainly not be able to have a snowball fight with her siblings this year, but she will wait for Santa Claus at almost 10 degrees less than her cousin and instead of looking at the palm trees at the multitude of lavishly decorated Christmas trees, Queen Elizabeth in Windsor and Sandringham.
3. A show in front of the press vs. a walk on the beach?
To what extent the traditional church service in Sandringham can take place this year remains open. What is certain, however, is that, unlike George and Co., Archie and Lilibet definitely don’t have to worry about their Christmas looks this year. Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s children could calmly unpack their presents in pajamas and then enjoy the weather on a walk on the beach with the family dog.
Very close to Kate and Co.
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Prince George and his siblings, on the other hand, are used to their annual feast being connected to a visit to St. Mary Magdalene Church. An appointment where the press scrambles around the royals. In doing so, attention is not only paid to Duchess Catherine’s look, but also to that of the fashionable minis.
Sources used: own research