The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are soon to celebrate a very special Christmas, as it will be their son Prince George's first, and E! News sources have the scoop on what the royal couple will be up to this holiday season.
On Christmas eve, the trio will travel to the Queen's estate at Sandringham to join several guests including Prince Harry, Prince Charles and Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Young members of the family will help decorate the 20-foot tall Christmas tree, and later, gifts will be exchanged as per tradition, as Queen Elizabeth III views Christmas day as a religious festival. At around 8 p.m., the family will settle down for a black-tie dinner at the estate.
"It's a very formal, traditional set-up in that the family dresses appropriately and are waited on by their staff in a formal environment," a source told E! News. "But the conversation isn't stuffy and serious. There's a jovial atmosphere."
Speaking of jovial, the gifts exchanged won't be over-the-top either, as the royals prefer small and funny personal gifts to lavish ones on the holiday.
On Christmas day, after breakfast the family will head to Sandringham's St. Mary Magdalene parish church for a 12-minute service before settling down for lunch. Later in the evening, everyone will gather together to watch the Queen's annual Christmas address to the nation.
"The family does watch TV on Christmas day," the insider reported. "They all watch the queen's speech together, and then it's often on in the afternoon for special Christmas shows. Traditionally, that was a time for games and walks, but as the younger generations have become more relaxed, traditions have changed."
Christmas dinner will be held at 8 p.m., and on Boxing Day, Prince William, his brother and several others will go for a pheasant hunt on the grounds of the estate before everyone returns him.
