One of the most joyful things about Christmas is getting to spend time with your nearest and dearest, and the Royal Family is no different. Every year the Royals spend December 25 at Sandringham House, and 2025 will continue this long-standing tradition. The King and Queen will be at the Norfolk country house, which has hosted generations of Royals, for Christmas Day, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales, and their children.
However, some notable faces will be absent, including the King’s brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who have not been invited to the celebrations this year following controversy around the former Duke of York’s links with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, and their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are also not expected to be in attendance.
Aside from the family’s morning walk to the nearby St Mary Magdalene Church, which sees crowds lining the road to snatch a glipse of the Royals, their Christmas Day celebrations are strictly private. However, a series of photos have given a peek inside the lavish house where they will spend the day.
The pictures posted to Reddit show a number of rooms inside the home, with opulent carpets and furniture, portraits lining the walls, and intricate decorations. Rooms are carefully colour-coordinated, with some in warm, brown and orange tones, and others in clean cream and light shades.
Other pictures show a library, with each wall lined with bookcases, while others show dining rooms with place settings carefully set out. Another picture shows the late Queen Elizabeth II on a horse outside the house, with others show the lovingly-maintained gardens.
Reddit users had a mix of reactions to the pictures. One said: “Rooms are absolutely packed with mismatched, utterly dated floral furniture.”
Another said: “I remember reading somewhere that Princess Diana said she hated spending Christmas at Sandringham because it was freezing cold and these photos give that vibe. I wouldn’t want to spend a holiday there either. It’s beautiful but looks very cold.”
And someone else wrote: “This is stunning from the outside but this kind of interiors feel….lonely to me. Like…they don’t feel like anybody’s home.”
But a different user said: “God that green is stunning. As an interior design major these pics look straight from the architecture/interior design history books I had to study for classes (they probably are).”
Sandringham has been the site of a number of significant events since it came into royal ownership in 1862. King George V made the first-ever Christmas broadcast from the house in 1932, and his granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II made the first televised address there 25 years later. Both King George V and his son, King George VI, died at Sandringham.
The Royals have a number of traditions on Christmas Day, including the men and women having breakfast separately before the walk to church. According to former royal chef Darren McGrady, the men and women have breakfast apart on Christmas morning, before coming back together on the walk to church. The chef revealed that the royal ladies prefer a light breakfast in bed, usually consisting of “sliced fruit, half a grapefruit, toast, and coffee”, while the men enjoy a traditional English breakfast loaded with eggs, bacon, mushrooms, black pudding, kippers and grilled kidneys.
Prince Harry also revealed in his autobiography 2023 Spare the family follow a German tradition called Heiligabend Bescherung, in which gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve. However, Prince William is reportedly planning to overhaul the way the family celebrates Christmas when he becomes King, including doing away with a tradition in which they hand out “joke” £5 presents in order of royal seniority.
The King’s sister Princess Anne and youngest brother Prince Edward, along with his wife Sophie and their two children, are expected to be at Sandringham this year, along with Zara and Mike Tindall and their three children. Princess Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were reportedly invited too, but have opted instead to go on a skiing holiday with friends.
Queen Camilla’s children Laura Lopes and Tom Parker Bowles were also invited, but it has been reported they have declined as they only celebrate with their mother every other year. Although Princess Eugenie has attended in the past, it is unclear what her plans are this year.
Sandringham House and Gardens is open to visitors, although it is currently closed to the public for the remainder of 2025. For more information visit https://sandringhamestate.co.uk/tickets/
