British royal family at Christmas 2022.Photo: DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images
King Charles IIIandQueen Camillaare celebrating the first Christmas of his reign.
The monarch, 74, and his wife, 75, lead the royal family during their walk to church on Christmas Day, returning to the annual tradition for the first time since 2019 as the family had to scrap a large family gathering for the past two years amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of course, the absence ofQueen Elizabeth IIwill weigh heavily on everyone’s mind as they mark the holidays just a few months after her death in September.
“It will be hard, as the Queen was all they knew, like most of Britain,” a former palace staffer tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.
Prince Louis.Samir Hussein/WireImage
The former member of the Queen’s staff adds, “The first year is most difficult, as it is always the first of everything that you notice.”
King Charles will likely reflect on the death of his mother in his speech, continuing the tradition of the monarch’s Christmas broadcast, which airs every holiday at 3 p.m. local time.
Queen Camilla and King Charles.DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images
Says the former palace staffer, “That will resonate with a lot of people who have lost loved ones this year.”
Longstanding traditions will be kept, from exchanging gag gifts on Christmas Eve to a festive turkey feast following the church outing at Sandringham House.
Princess Charlotte, Kate Middleton, Prince George and Prince William.Samir Hussein/WireImage
“Charles has always been very, very fond of Sandringham,” says royal biographer Ingrid Seward. “Christmas within any family is always about tradition. He will keep it the same as it ever was.”
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Prince George, Prince Louis, Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte.Samir Hussein/WireImage
And Queen Camilla will play a big role in hosting the festivities, despite leaving to spend time with her own children and grandchildren in years past.
Seward says Camilla “will be a real presence” — “she can’t have him hosting his first Christmas on his own.”
source: people.com
