The Tamesis
When it comes to Christmas, the British royal family has plenty of traditions that onlookers have known for years, from festive family Christmas cards to stunning Christmas trees and roast turkeys.
For the past several decades, the royal family has spent Christmas at Sandringham in Norfolk, but the royal family has a long history of celebrating Christmas at Windsor Castle, with a 20-foot-tall (or so) Christmas tree installed each year in St. George’s Hall, the castle’s largest room. (This year, the Christmas tree at Windsor Castle is decorated with more than 3,000 lights.) During World War II, Queen Elizabeth II even performed a Christmas pantomime at the castle with her sister, Princess Margaret, to boost morale and raise funds for the war effort.
Recently, the family followed tradition by attending a Christmas church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, where they greeted people traveling to and from the church. In addition to the traditions that many people know and love, Christmas also provides the royal family with the opportunity to make some of their most eye-catching sartorial choices – like the red coat, black hat and veil that Princess Diana wore on Christmas Day in 1993.
Below is a collection of throwback photos of the royal family from Christmas past years.
