King Charles and Queen Camilla are hosting members of their extended family at Windsor Castle for the traditional Royal Family pre-Christmas lunch, which sees them enjoy wine and a festive feast
The royals have descended on Windsor Castle for one of the late Queen’s favourite pre-Christmas traditions that has been continued by King Charles.
Today, the monarch welcomed members of his extended family to a festive party at Windsor Castle before he heads off to Sandringham for Christmas with closer family members later this week. It was a tradition started by the late Queen and today’s event was the second to be hosted by Charles since he became King in September 2022.
Among those seen driving into the castle were Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward and Sophie, along with their daughter Lady Louise Windsor, who is on her Christmas break from St Andrews University. They were followed by Princess Anne, who arrived with her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, who drove them to the event.
Others expected to have attended are the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – although as they already live on the Windsor estate, were not snapped travelling to the event. The family lunch is very much a private affair, with no photos released of the event, but it is thought the royals usually celebrate with wine, crackers and a festive feast.
However, Mike Tindall once dished on the table set-up. And even though children are invited, they don’t sit with the other royals. Instead, they have their own room, where they enjoy their Christmas meal.
In 2019, which was the last pre-Christmas lunch hosted by the late Queen, the former rugby player spoke about the celebrations on his rugby podcast, and shared a few exciting details. His co-stars James Haskell and Alex Payne asked which of the seven tables he sat.
They asked: “Do you find yourself upgrading every year and getting closer to the main table or are you off out the back? Is there a promotion and relegation based on the year’s performance? Because if there is I imagine you’re pretty much sitting on the right-hand side of Her Majesty.”
Mike stayed quiet throughout the jokes, but later added: “I was on Prince Charles’s table, it was lovely.” He then divulged that the royal little ones have their own table in a separate room away from the adults. He said: “This is the family lunch, there were seven tables so there must have been about 70 of us there. The kiddies have their own little one in a different room.”
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
