For so many in Britain, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the Royal Family. From the wider family get-together for lunch in the week before Christmas, to their arrival at Sandringham for the big day and their church trip on Christmas morning, many routines remain familiar, including, of course, the King’s Speech.
But time does not stand still and like other families, the Royal Family tries new things and they, in turn, become regular items in the festive calendar. Last week two events took place that are becoming part of the royals’ Christmas diaries, with the King and Princess of Wales helping to ring in the changes.
The first was the King attending an Advent service, held this year at the Coptic Orthodox Church Centre, in Hertfordshire, on Tuesday. There he met members of the congregation, the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, and the Bishop of St Albans.
The King spoke of his admiration for the Copts, and how happy he was to see other churches represented at the event, given the worldwide persecution Christians faced. That persecution has long been a major concern for Charles. He first began attending an Advent service in 2013.
This year’s event confirms how they are now a part of his Christmas itinerary. Also becoming a regular fixture is the Princess of Wales’s carol service at Westminster Abbey, which took place on Friday and will be shown on ITV on Christmas Eve.
Called Together At Christmas, it was first held in 2021 in response to the traumas of the pandemic and among those invited were people on the front line.
The one-off event proved so successful that it was repeated at the Abbey in 2022 with a large turnout of royals. Kate and William were joined by their children, George and Charlotte, as well as the King and Queen Camilla, the Countess of Wessex, and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
The event is happening again with the focus on supporting babies, young children and families. There has, of course, been plenty of focus on Royal Family relationships in recent weeks, after Omid Scobie’s controversial book Endgame was published.
Like many British families, the Royal Family is now a “blended family” with step-relations to be considered. The Prince and Princess of Wales have spent previous Christmases with the Middletons. There are reports Camilla’s children will be at Sandringham this year. And the days when the monarch stayed at Sandringham until February are over. Charles prefers to leave soon after Christmas and visit his Scottish home, Birkhall.
But one tradition will undoubtedly remain – the sovereign’s speech. For 70 years, Elizabeth II gave us her address. Last year, King Charles attracted record numbers of viewers. This year, his words will confirm the King’s Speech is now part of British Christmas.
