British royals exchange ‘slightly rude’ Christmas gifts, including whoopee cushions and toilet seats

The Royal Family owns homes, castles and palaces all over the country with many of them being bought with private funds. While events such as Easter are spent at Windsor Castle, Christmas is typically enjoyed at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. Last year's festive period was a huge step forward for more reasons than one.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's hopes of a Christmas reunion in the UK have been dashed due to fresh drama. Fans were hoping that 2023 might be the year the couple would patch things up with the rest of the Royal Family and spend Christmas at Sandringham. In recent months, there have been whispers from sources close to Harry and Meghan suggesting they were keen on spending the festive season with their extended family in Britain.

during their annual walkabout at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham.Ferguson — who is also affectionately known as Fergie — joined the Windsors for the holiday alongside her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, for the fist time since the 90s.According to “Charles III: New King. New Court” author Robert Hardman, the reason why she was welcomed back for the Yuletide occasion was due to King Charles’ love for Beatrice, 35, and Eugenie, 33.“Life moves on.

After two days of eating and drinking in lavish style, Boxing Day is when many of the royals get up early, pull on their waxed Barbour jackets and wellington boots, and load their guns for a day of shooting on the 20,000-acre Sandringham estate. Although for many of us the day is about strolling off the excesses, playing games and snuggling in front of the TV, senior members of the family are expected to join the hunt for plump pheasants or grouse.

King Charles III gave his second Christmas speech to the nation, but there was no mention of his youngest son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle. The speech, aired on BBC One, showcased Buckingham Palace and highlighted the charity work done by Prince William, The Princess of Wales, and their children in 2023.

King Charles will address the nation later today when his annual Christmas speech airs on TV. This will be the monarch's second festive address after an incredibly busy year which has seen the Coronation, his landmark 75th birthday, several important foreign trips and a stream of family dramas.The monarch is following in the footsteps of his predecessors by making a Christmas speech - an annual trend which was started by King George V in 1932.

The King and the rest of the Royal Family are set to return to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk this Christmas and will take part in many of the fun and unique traditions that they enjoy year in, year out. Among these quirks that set members of the Firm apart from many of us in the UK are how they open their presents on Christmas Eve and buy one another joke gifts.

Following Buckingham Palace's release of King Charles and Queen Camilla's Christmas card, you may be wondering exactly how many people it will be sent to all over the world. Unbelievably, the image will be delivered to more than 750 people around to world - including to foreign diplomats, international leaders, Heads of State, friends, family and members of staff.

While they observe many of the festive traditions that a popular all over the UK, the Royal Family's Christmas is also unique and unexpected in many ways. One of the most well-known royal Christmas traditions is the fact that members of the family buy each other joke gifts, rather than serious ones, with previous presents including a singing hamster, a 'grow your own girlfriend kit' and even a leather toilet seat. Among these hilarious gifts was one Prince Harry decided to give to his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Gift-giving can be a challenging affair when your nearest and dearest already own priceless jewels, designer clothes and luxury cars. So instead of splashing out on expensive, over-the-top items, the royals don’t take seasonal gifting seriously.

The Royal Family's Christmas celebrations are famously similar to many other families up and down the country - albeit with a few more unique elements thrown in which take their historic German roots into account. While we can expect to see everyone from The King and the Queen to The Prince and Princess of Wales with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis in attendance on the morning walk to St Mary Magdalene Church, what do they get up the rest of the day? The main dinner on Christmas Day is one of the most highly anticipated meals of the year and it’s no secret that we like it to run as smoothly as possible.

While they observe many of the festive traditions that a popular all over the UK, the Royal Family's Christmas is also unique and unexpected in many ways. From paying homage to their Germanic roots and opening their presents on Christmas Eve to taking part in a traditional Boxing Day hunt, some aspects of the royal Christmas hark back to their rich history.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle "might not be included" in King Charles III's Christmas tradition, according to reports. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and moved to the States, have rarely returned to the UK since, and have been absent from every single Christmas at Sandringham since 2018.

The Royal Family will be counting down the days to Christmas where they will return to the Sandringham Estate and spend time together as a family. When it comes to what the royals choose to eat during the festive period, it is said their choices couldn't be more traditional with former royal chef Darren McGrady going as far to describe the family's meal choices as "boring".

There are many famous videos of The Royal Family that people remember fondly, whether it is clips of cheeky royal children on the Buckingham Palace balcony or Queen Elizabeth II's unforgettable sketch with Paddington Bear to mark her Platinum Jubilee. Even though it is Prince Louis who is already beloved for his cheeky contributions to national events, his elder brother showcased his funny side when he appeared in a clip alongside his late great-grandmother, his grandfather and father to make Christmas puddings for charity.

The royals have enjoyed spending Christmas at Sandringham for decades, and after creating so many special memories there with the late Queen, the King seems keen for them to keep making more. “Christmas at Sandringham has been absolutely central to the family for years, and that legacy looks certain to continue with Charles,” says royal expert Duncan Larcombe.

Dozens of turkeys, hams, cakes, cheeses, mince pies, vintage champagne and fine wines – no corners are cut when the shopping list for the royal Christmas get-together is compiled. Queen Elizabeth II’s former chef Darren McGrady catered for Christmas at Sandringham frequently in the 80s and 90s. Speaking to OK! about his time running the kitchen, he reveals.

Vanity Fair that there is absolutely “no chance” of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex joining the family at Sandringham for the holidays.The reason?Harry’s estranged brother, Prince William, and his wife, Kate Middleton, allegedly have “hostility” toward them.The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, both 41, also refuse to be in the same room as the Invictus Games founder, 39, and the former actress, 42, “let alone spend Christmas with them.”King Charles III is reportedly anxious about inviting the couple to the Yuletide holiday, but would have “loved nothing more than” to celebrate with his son and grandkids, Archie and Lilibet.“But it’s not that simple and there is no chance the Sussexes will be coming,” the source explained. “It would make things very difficult because there is still so much hostility towards Harry and Meghan, particularly from the Prince and Princess of Wales.”“Charles is also deeply nervous about the risks of conversations being leaked by the Sussex camp, which is why there have been very few of them.”Things have been tense within the Firm in recent months, with the release of Omid Scobie’s book “Endgame” in November.The Dutch version of the biography named two members of the royal family that allegedly raised questions about the color of Archie’s skin before he was born.Middleton, 41, and Charles, 75, were the two people who reportedly made the racist comments, according to Piers Morgan.

“Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family,” told the Daily Express.The royals typically spend Christmas at Sandringham House, however, the Sussexes have been absent from celebrations for the last three years.Instead, they spent the festive season in their $14 million Montecito mansion with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.Quinn notes that as the furor over Omid Scobie’s explosive tell-all biography, “Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival” continues to unfold, a royal reunion is off the table at this time.“I don’t think Harry and Meghan will be able to overshadow Kate and William this Christmas, or at least not in the UK,” he told the outlet.

Former royal chef Darren McGrady, who served the late Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana, has shared a sneak peek into the Royal Family 's Christmas feasts. Each year, members of the Royal Family come together for the festive period and traditionally spend time at King Charles' residence, Sandringham House in Norfolk.The sprawling country house has a plethora of bedrooms and is situated within 20,000 acres - the perfect setting for a royal Christmas.