How will the Cambridges celebrate Christmas this year? Pour yourself a nice cup of tea (and of course a seasonal treat is mandatory - mince pies are particularly popular with my family) and let's take a look at what they've been up to in recent days and their plans for the coming year...
No doubt Prince George was very excited to meet Santa :)
We hear the Middleton family has already arrived at Anmer Hall and settled into the ten-bedroom mansion to enjoy pre-Christmas celebrations and quality time with Prince George. This is Kate's first year to host Christmas and Carole and Pippa in particular want to be on hand to offer as much support as possible. We looked to Pippa's book Celebrate for a little insight on the family's Christmas and as many of us know, the key is in the planning.
With such a fabulous selection of locally grown produce available in Norfolk, Carole, Kate and Pippa will be out and about in the next day or two purchasing fresh vegetables, meats and delicacies. According to Pippa, edible gifts such as gingerbread stars and Christmas truffles are popular as well as decorating the tree with them.
Clarence House shared a photo of their Christmas tree this year; it looks beautiful.
We know Kate spent quite a bit of time at the flower market, so one can expect Anmer Hall will be brought to life with greenery - sprigs of pine, ivy and berries will add to the festive atmosphere along with decorative and scented candles; Kate reportedly favours Jo Malone candles.
William will want to model their country home on the relaxed, family-oriented feel of the Middletons' Bucklebury manor rather than a formal royal residence. Bucklebury became something of a sanctuary for William and Kate following George's birth and he will want Anmer to offer the same setting for entertaining family and enjoying country living.
.jpg)
How will the Cambridges schedule Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? It is thought the couple plan to join in the present-giving at Sandringham at 6 p.m. in the Red Drawing Room where the family will exchange inexpensive gifts such as home-made jam from Kate and joke gifts from William and Harry (Kate reportedly gave Harry a 'Grow Your Own Girlfriend Kit' last year). Next it's cocktails, followed by a sumptuous dinner and games until midnight, at which point Her Majesty will depart for bed.
On Christmas Day, William, Kate and George will open their stockings with the Middletons at Anmer and take a family stroll around the grounds. Then it's time for a change of clothes before William and Kate make the annual walk with the Royal family over to the estate's local church, St Mary Magdalene. It is not known if Kate's family will join them or remain back at the house with George.
After church, the Duke and Duchess will host a Christmas feast at Anmer Hall consisting of warming soups, traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings, fine wines and all topped off with home-made Christmas pudding and chocolate Yule log.
Prince George will be the centre of attention on the day and his gifts are said to include a hand-crafted rocking zebra from Carole and Mike Middleton, a retro toy car, books and a deluxe railway set from his parents.
At 3 p.m. they will sit down and watch Her Majesty's annual Christmas Day speech.
Festive fun will be enjoyed in the form of board games. To burn off lunch, they may decide to take boisterous George out for a walk with the dogs. In the evening, the family sip on egg nog and classic champagne cocktails whilst enjoying the Downton Abbey Christmas special. In New York, William revealed they are very much looking forward to seeing it. Unlike Sandringham - which requires several outfit changes - it will be all about informality, cosy knits and boots.
Boxing Day begins with a kedgeree breakfast and the annual pheasant shoot on the estate; the Middleton family may join in for this. The Middletons are expected to stay on for a few days after Christmas and William and Kate will most likely ring in the New Year with them in Bucklebury. It promises to be a wonderful time for all involved.
We'll see you on Christmas morning. Wishing you and your families a very, very Happy Christmas! We hope it's a splendid time for you all :)
William and Kate wrapped up their royal duties in London last week by attending a board meeting for The Royal Foundation with Prince Harry before treating their staff to a traditional Christmas luncheon at popular eatery Bumpkin in South Kensington. In 2012, they also hosted the lunch for 27 staff there.
 |
| Bumpkin |
They enjoyed a leisurely afternoon in the country-in-the-city-style restaurant much loved for serving rustic British food. Below we look at Bumpkin's Christmas lunch.
 |
| Bumpkin |
Like countless other families, William and Kate have faced the difficult decision of where to spend Christmas since they got married, battling with the expectation of joining the Royal family at Sandringham or heading to Bucklebury for a more private, relaxed day. In 2011, Kate spent her first Christmas Day with the royals.
It was very much a change of pace for the couple in 2012 when they decided to stay in Berkshire with Kate's family following her difficult time suffering from Hyperemesis gravidarum. This was cited as the primary reason the Cambridges chose to break tradition, though it was widely reported Prince William planned to do things his own way, ensuring both families were involved.
And last year it was back to Sandringham where William and Kate happily exchanged laughs and held hands as they made the walk to church. The Alexander McQueen tartan coat dress and Aquatalia boots made for a perfect Christmas look. Any predictions on what the Duchess will wear this time?
 |
| PA |
This year the couple faced no such tough decision. With renovations on their Georgian mansion, Anmer Hall completed they have found a perfect solution. With that in mind, William, Kate and George left Kensington Palace for Norfolk late last week to ready their home to entertain over the festive period. Kate was spotted at a local flower market where she purchased plants, roses and white freesias to fill the country house. Locals described Kate as "very charming" and "down-to-earth" with an "amazing smile".
Christmas is a particularly special time when their are children about, and William and Kate are eager for their son to take it all in and thoroughly enjoy the experience. On Saturday, the little Prince was in for a special treat when his parents took him to meet Santa at 'Santa's Magical Display' in Thursford, Norfolk.
 |
| Santa's Magical Journey |
They spent just under an hour taking in the sights and when George met Santa he received a wooden toy train. It was important to William and Kate no photos were taken and similar to Anglesey, locals in Norfolk seem quite protective of them and respectful of their privacy. Given their status, it is no mean feat photos were not snapped on phones.
 |
| Santa's Magical Journey |
More from the Express:
'Like other visitors, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who is pregnant with her second child, were given a 15 minute slot when they had to arrive to ensure a smooth flow of visitors. Geraldine Rye, the general manager at Thursford, said: "George seemed to have a lovely time. When I saw him, he was walking around.
"It was a private visit and they were not given any special treatment. We only knew shortly beforehand that they were coming."'
No doubt Prince George was very excited to meet Santa :)
 |
| Santa's Magical Journey |
We hear the Middleton family has already arrived at Anmer Hall and settled into the ten-bedroom mansion to enjoy pre-Christmas celebrations and quality time with Prince George. This is Kate's first year to host Christmas and Carole and Pippa in particular want to be on hand to offer as much support as possible. We looked to Pippa's book Celebrate for a little insight on the family's Christmas and as many of us know, the key is in the planning.
'You wont have time to do everything from scratch but pick and choose what you can manage making yourself. Have a kitchen clear-out before the festive period and make separate lists for different shops you might visit; the butcher's, wine store, green grocers, florist and supermarket. The priority is to get all the food planned and organised as far in advance as possible.'
With such a fabulous selection of locally grown produce available in Norfolk, Carole, Kate and Pippa will be out and about in the next day or two purchasing fresh vegetables, meats and delicacies. According to Pippa, edible gifts such as gingerbread stars and Christmas truffles are popular as well as decorating the tree with them.
'Decorating the Christmas tree is a ceremony for the whole family. Make a weekend of it and get into the Christmas spirit with mince-pie baking and mulled-wine making with carols in the background. When it comes to decorating, individual style is everything.'
Clarence House shared a photo of their Christmas tree this year; it looks beautiful.
 |
| Clarence House Twitter Feed |
We know Kate spent quite a bit of time at the flower market, so one can expect Anmer Hall will be brought to life with greenery - sprigs of pine, ivy and berries will add to the festive atmosphere along with decorative and scented candles; Kate reportedly favours Jo Malone candles.
William will want to model their country home on the relaxed, family-oriented feel of the Middletons' Bucklebury manor rather than a formal royal residence. Bucklebury became something of a sanctuary for William and Kate following George's birth and he will want Anmer to offer the same setting for entertaining family and enjoying country living.
How will the Cambridges schedule Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? It is thought the couple plan to join in the present-giving at Sandringham at 6 p.m. in the Red Drawing Room where the family will exchange inexpensive gifts such as home-made jam from Kate and joke gifts from William and Harry (Kate reportedly gave Harry a 'Grow Your Own Girlfriend Kit' last year). Next it's cocktails, followed by a sumptuous dinner and games until midnight, at which point Her Majesty will depart for bed.
 |
| Wikipedia |
On Christmas Day, William, Kate and George will open their stockings with the Middletons at Anmer and take a family stroll around the grounds. Then it's time for a change of clothes before William and Kate make the annual walk with the Royal family over to the estate's local church, St Mary Magdalene. It is not known if Kate's family will join them or remain back at the house with George.
After church, the Duke and Duchess will host a Christmas feast at Anmer Hall consisting of warming soups, traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings, fine wines and all topped off with home-made Christmas pudding and chocolate Yule log.
Prince George will be the centre of attention on the day and his gifts are said to include a hand-crafted rocking zebra from Carole and Mike Middleton, a retro toy car, books and a deluxe railway set from his parents.
 |
| The Mirror |
At 3 p.m. they will sit down and watch Her Majesty's annual Christmas Day speech.
Festive fun will be enjoyed in the form of board games. To burn off lunch, they may decide to take boisterous George out for a walk with the dogs. In the evening, the family sip on egg nog and classic champagne cocktails whilst enjoying the Downton Abbey Christmas special. In New York, William revealed they are very much looking forward to seeing it. Unlike Sandringham - which requires several outfit changes - it will be all about informality, cosy knits and boots.
Boxing Day begins with a kedgeree breakfast and the annual pheasant shoot on the estate; the Middleton family may join in for this. The Middletons are expected to stay on for a few days after Christmas and William and Kate will most likely ring in the New Year with them in Bucklebury. It promises to be a wonderful time for all involved.
.jpg) |
| PA |
We'll see you on Christmas morning. Wishing you and your families a very, very Happy Christmas! We hope it's a splendid time for you all :)
0 comments:
Post a Comment