Christmas is a time filled with tradition, whether it’s turkey for dinner, singing Christmas songs or visiting family, each of us celebrates Christmas differently. For the Royal Family, there are certain traditions which may seem a tad weird but are upheld each year.

Not partaking in those traditions this year will be Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who have opted to have a quieter Christmas this year.

A spokesman said of this decision: “Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, their royal highnesses will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the Duchess’ mother Doria Ragland.”

This will be the first Christmas for Meghan and Harry’s son Archie Harrison Mountbatten Windsor, a special time for any young family.

Despite being a couple of family members lighter, the Royal Family will still follow their age-old traditions, some of which are detailed below.

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Queen takes a train to Sandringham

The Queen spends her Christmases and New Years at her country estate in Sandringham but does not travel in her usual car.

Instead, the Queen takes the train each year travelling to King’s Lynn Station in Norfolk.

Usually, Prince Philip travels with her, and the couple is accompanied by their security officers and members of staff.

The Queen leaves and enters King’s Lynn Station via a side entrance known as the Royal Gate.

Christmas Eve celebrations

The rest of the Royal Family arrive at Sandringham on Christmas Eve, and each unit of the family is given a time to arrive in accordance with their status.

Once everyone has arrived, the young royals finish decorating the two Christmas trees inside the Queen’s Norfolk residence.

This year Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, one, will be helping to decorate the trees.

In honour of their German heritage, the Royal Family open their presents on Christmas Eve, instead of Christmas Day.

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They lay their gifts for one another on trestle tables and exchange them at teatime.

Often these gifts contain a joke present or two, with the Queen reportedly having a great sense of humour towards these novelty gifts.

Before Harry had met now-wife Meghan, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge reportedly bought him a ‘grow your own girlfriend’ kit.

Princess Anne reportedly bought her older brother Prince Charles a white leather toilet seat, and Prince Harry one year reportedly gave his grandmother the Queen a hat which read “Ain’t life a B**tch”.

Christmas Day mass at Sandringham

On Christmas Day, the Queen and her family attend mass at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate.

Often crowds of royal fans line up to witness the royals arrive for mass, with the Queen taking time afterwards to meet a group of local children.

For Christmas 2018, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Duke and Duchess of Sussex were spotted arriving, chatting with one another as they walked up the path to the church

Charades… But no Monopoly

After Christmas lunch, the family reportedly play charades each year.

Jess Isle, a royal expert at Royal Central, says the Queen is “very good” at playing charades.

She said to Express.co.uk: “I’ve heard they love playing games, especially charades, over Christmas and that The Queen is apparently a very good player.”

However, there is one game The Firm are banned from playing – and it’s a classic.

The Royal Family are not allowed to play Monopoly – so there will be no passing go or collecting £200 for the royals.

It was the Duke of York who revealed this odd fact and the reason in 2008 when he was on a visit to Leeds Building Society’s Albion Street headquarters.

He said: “We’re not allowed to play Monopoly at home. It gets too vicious.”

Christmas Dinner quirks

One rather bizarre Christmas tradition takes place after dinner when members of the family weigh themselves.

Royals are asked by the Queen to weigh themselves as they arrive at Sandringham, and then once again after dinner is finished.

The idea is to make sure those who partake in the Royal Christmas dinner are ‘well-fed’ according to reports.

This odd tradition reportedly dates back to King Edward VII’s reign in the early 1900s, when Cosmopolitan reports the King Majesty was “concerned about people’s health and whether or not they were eating enough on Christmas,”.

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