King Charles may scrap 'archaic' tradition of Firm sitting to watch Royal Christmas speech
This year will be the first Christmas with King Charles presiding over the celebrations at Sandringham after the death of the Queen in September.
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King Charles III may scrap the "archaic" tradition of the Royal Family gathering together to watch the annual Christmas speech, which is televised on Christmas Day in the afternoon each year. According to a royal expert, this year the festivities are likely to be "less buttoned up" as the Firm mark their first Christmas without Queen Elizabeth.
The BBC's former royal correspondent Jennie Bond shared her take on the celebrations for 2022, as she believes the new King will prefer to be less formal than his mother.
She told OK! magazine: "It will be full of nostalgia and some good measure of sadness. There’s going to be that empty place where the Queen sat.
"I presume Charles will not sit there unless they choose to leave it empty."
She continued: "It will have all the usual traditions of a Sandringham gathering. The family will gather but they’ll be lacking their matriarch.
"It’s always a sad time when you have your first Christmas without the main person.
"Like every other family, they will get used to it but it’ll be slightly different."
Ms Bond added that Charles's speech will be "very interesting" but that he would record it a few days ahead of time, as the Queen used to do.
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She commented: "I’m sure he’ll record it a few days before and it’s bound to have some reflection on their loss", before adding that the tradition of sitting down to watch the speech together was "archaic" and may be scrapped.
She went on: "Most families by then will be recovering from their large meal and the day’s festive celebrations.
"I suspect it will be less formal. It’ll be a bit less buttoned up."
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However the royal reporter noted that given Charles and Camilla's "great sense of humour and love of people" there will be some fun on the day.
The Firm always spend their Christmases at Sandringham, the royal estate in the Norfolk countryside, however, some members of the family will be absent this year.
While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were invited, it is thought that they declined and will stay in California for the holiday.