Queen Charlotte of Englandwife of George III, grandfather of the mythical Queen Victoria, He adopted a very German tradition, and decorated the first Christmas tree at Queen’s Lodge, residence near Windsor Castle. However, the fame for introducing the tradition of profusely decorated trees in England went to Queen Victoria, married to a German prince, Albert of Hanover, and who imported hundreds of fir trees to Great Britain to transplant. We could say that Queen Charlotte was the pioneer and lto Queen Victoria, the popularizer and who finally managed to make this “royal” tradition democratized and reached the majority of homes in the United Kingdom. All of the above to remember that the Windsors love Christmas and that they are faithful to the traditions of these dates. a few days ago, Grant Harrold, Charles of England’s former butler, has revealed some curious anecdotesyes of how he celebrates Christmas, whoever was his boss.
© Getty ImagesWHAT NOT TO GIVE TO CHARLES III
As Prince Harry said in his controversial memoirs, Sparehis family preserves the traditions from Germany and Gifts are distributed on the afternoon of December 24. With British punctuality as a flag, the appointment for the exchange of gifts is at six in the afternoonin Sandringham. Apparently, all the packages, appropriately wrapped and with labels indicating the name of the lucky person who will unwrap them, are on the same table, covered by a white cloth. The only lighting in the room is the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree. On the count of three, everyone proceeds to see what their lot has been. Grant Harrold has indicated in his statements to The Mirror that there are two basic rules: Make cheap, but fun gifts. “According to custom, at the beginning of the night, each of us found our place and stood in front of our pile of gifts,” Prince Harry wrote in his bestseller. Suddenly, everyone started opening them at the same time. A pitched battle, with dozens of family members talking at once and pulling on bows and tearing wrapping paper.” Duncan Larcombe, a journalist who is an expert on the British monarchy, has shared that the Windsors “don’t spend a lot of money on gifts,” but they do think carefully about what to buy to make people smile. The Duke of Sussex He will never forget the gift his great-aunt, Princess Margaret, gave him: a pen in the shape of a fish.
© Getty ImagesAnd this does not end with the unusual gifts among the members of a family as unique as the Windsors. It is said that Harry gave his grandmother, and it was a great success, a plastic talking trout; or what Prince William presented Elizabeth II with some slippers on which his face appeared printed. There are even more hilarious presents: the white fur toilet seat that Princess Anne gave to her brother, King Charles, or the “grow your own girlfriend kit” that Kate sought out for her brother-in-law, Harry. It seems, according to the palace rumors that are growing like wildfire, that Diana of Wales was not so happy about this custom of her in-laws, and preferred to opt for good cashmere sweaters instead of all those silly gadgets that only served to start a smile, but a gesture of discomfort, and little more.
© Getty ImagesLet’s return to Charles III and the secrets revealed by his butler. Among the details shared by Harrold, we highlight one very useful one. The Monarch of the English is austere by nature: “He hates being given something extravagant and expensive.. He would be embarrassed if someone gave him something that cost a fortune. In that case, I would say, ‘It’s lovely, but you shouldn’t have done it.’ That’s why, at Christmas, I used to give him books on Victorian gardening or honey-based products, because I know how much he likes honey.” It’s good to know: if you want to please His Majesty, you are closer to hitting the mark with bee nectar than with a high-end watch.
© Getty ImagesWHERE TO BUY
Certain indiscretions of Harrold Grant never cease to surprise and amuse. For example, the Windsors, according to the prestigious newspaper The Guardian, They have a fortune that could amount to more than one hundred and eighty million pounds (that is, about two hundred and eleven million euros). However, If this royal family likes something, it is bargains, offers, last-minute bargains. “Royalty enjoys a bargain,” says Grant. “Everyone assumes that the royal family only shops in the fanciest stores,” he adds, “but they go to the same stores as us.” And he gives an example: Elizabeth II “many times walked through the shops of Ballater looking for the best deals.” Or that the Princess of Wales has not hesitated to make last-minute purchases in department stores such as The Range, King’s and Larners, in Holt (Norfolk), specializing in rustic products. For her part, Camilla Parker-Bowles likes to shop in advance and, before official trips, she fills up with details to offer her hosts, looking at the label, of course.
© Getty ImagesTimes have changed and so have palace customs. If a few years ago they say that Lady Diana He asked that the stores where he wanted to do his Christmas shopping in peace be closed.today it seems that the new generations of princes and princesses are betting on online shopping, perhaps the best procedure to go unnoticed. “Now all members of the royal family like discretion (…). People who pass them in stores don’t recognize them, because they don’t expect to see a queen or princess browsing in a local store.” Grant Harrold has also told The Mirror: “Everyone assumes that royalty only shops in the fanciest stores. But they go to the same stores as us. I’m not saying never go to Harrods; the late Queen is said to have done some Christmas shopping there with her cousin (the Duchess of Kent).” And how did Elizabeth II manage to do her Christmas shopping without being seen more than she wanted or wasting more time than she wanted to give to this task? According to Paul Burrell, Lady Diana’s controversial former butler, the Queen had a drawing room in Windsor Castle to serve as a store. There, they brought him a wide selection of possible gifts and, without leaving the palace, he chose one by one the gifts that he was going to give to his family on the 24th.
© Getty ImagesOn the other hand, It’s not all about buying objects of desire, but you also have to wrap and package them to make the experience of entertaining your loved one more complete.. In this regard, Grant has commented: “I can easily imagine Kate, William and even Princess Anne wrapping their own gifts, but not the King. He will have someone to do it for him.”
A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS
At the same time that these curiosities have come to light, on Monday the 16th, the BBC reported that this Christmas, Prince Andrew will not spend these important dates with the rest of the members of the British royal familyat Sandringham mansion. The latest news about her relationship with Yang Tengboa controversial Chinese businessman and alleged spy, It has been the straw that has broken the camel’s back of Charles III’s patience.
© Getty ImagesDespite having been retired from public life in 2019, until now he continued to share Christmas with his family and attended the traditional Mass with his family in Norfolk, but it seems that this year the doors of Sandringham will not be open to him. For its part, His daughters, Princesses Beatriz and Eugenia, had already announced that, on this occasion, they will spend the 24th and 25th with their in-laws, so Prince Andrew could face such a significant date alone. It is unknown if he will be invited to the pre-Christmas lunch held at Buckingham Palace. There is no doubt that on the 24th he will remember the fun and joy that was experienced in his family, where the lights of the tree shone to the rhythm of the papers that were torn to reveal the surprise hidden in each of the packages, which had a label with his name.