HM Queen Elizabeth II Christmas Speech 2015

Queen Elizabeth had a very genius technique when it came to shopping Christmas presents for her very large family, a former royal butler has revealed.

Paul Burrell, who became the late Queen’s personal footman in 1977 and butler to the late Princess Diana in 1987, gave a unique insight into Elizabeth’s shopping habits during the festive period.

He previously spoke about how the late monarch would have a “little Christmas shop” set up for her at Windsor Castle where she would pick her gifts at her own pace.

Burrell told Closer magazine in 2021: “The Queen can’t go to the shops to go Christmas shopping like the rest of us, so she does a couple of different things.

“Firstly, she has catalogues sent to her, and then the Oxford Street branch of John Lewis sends her a selection of almost everything they stock.

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“There is a little ‘shop’ set up in the drawing room at Windsor Castle and the Queen can pop in and choose gifts at her leisure.

“Late at night, after dinner, usually around 10pm, she’ll pop into her little Christmas shop and do some shopping.”

The former royal butler stressed that Elizabeth’s gifts were always thoughtful and practical.

He explained: “The Queen always chooses practical gifts that can be used – never ornaments or decorative things.

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“So she might pick some picnic plates, a tablecloth, or a couple of hand towels.

“Then they are wrapped up and a truckload of presents are ready to go to Sandringham.”

Burrell said that the late monarch would even fill stockings her four grown-up children, and chuckle at cracker jokes during the festive period.

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