Mike joined the Royal Family in 2011, when he married Princess Anne’s daughter Zara. And ever since, the former rugby player has been spending Christmas at Sandringham House with the Queen, Prince Philip and other senior royals. 

These years spent with the Royal Family granted him a lot of inside knowledge about what Christmas at Sandringham really is.

Last year, he was asked whether Christmas was good at Sandringham while appearing on House of Rugby.

And he surprised everyone revealing the relaxing things royals do on December 25. 

He said: “Yeah it is good. So Christmas Day is a little more quiet because it’s actually a cold buffet because they give everyone the day off, and their big day is Christmas Eve.”

On Christmas Day, Mike said, the family gathers around the TV to watch the Queen’s speech “with a little glass of something”.

Royals then continue to watch the telly – and last year they settled for the Downton Abbey Christmas special, even though that was not the first choice of Mike.

He said: “I don’t watch it, but there’s a lot of people who do.”  

The day, Mike continued, is filled with “a lot of meals” offered throughout the day and plenty of presents.

Zara, according to her loving husband, is particularly good at buying presents.

And she does it not just for those who gather in Sandringham between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, but Zara buys gifts also for each and every single member of the extended Royal Family who attends the annual Christmas party at Buckingham Palace held by the Queen on her last week of the year in London.

Mike said: “My wife is incredible at present buying. It’s unbelievable.

“There will probably be – each year at Sandringham – this year, I think there was 27, and she takes presents for each and every one of them.

“But then before, so, what is it? The 26th, so two weeks ago we had the family Christmas lunch which is ALL extended family members…

“Maybe 50, 55 – and she buys them all presents.” 

At Sandringham House, presents are usually exchanged on Christmas Eve, to honour the German roots of the House of Windsor.

Royal expert Marlene Koenig told Hello! magazine: “The British royals still follow the German tradition of opening presents on Christmas Eve.

“The members of the family who are present at Sandringham exchange gifts, usually not expensive.

“The gifts are put out on a trestle table after tea time.”

Children, the expert added, also open the presents brought to them by Santa Claus on Christmas Day morning.

Last year Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, told one of the well-wishers waiting outside St Mary Magdalene Church on Christmas Day that her children had woken up very early to unwrap their presents. 

The gifts exchanged by adult royals on Christmas Eve are famously hilarious and light-hearted.

Royals podcast contributor Angela Mollard said: “They are quite light-hearted around presents.

“They don’t give a nice linen set or anything like that, it’s all like presents.”

And one year Kate herself turned rather cheeky and presented her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, a ‘make your own girlfriend’ kit.

The expert continued: “So one year Kate gave Prince Harry, before he got married, a blow-up your own girlfriend kit – no, a make your own girlfriend kit.”      

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