🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
The British royal family owns a number of the most famous homes and estates in the world, from Buckingham Palace in London to Balmoral Castle in the highlands of Scotland.
Traditionally, the monarch moves from residence to residence at particular times of the year, dividing time between Crown-owned official residences and privately-owned royal residences.
During her seventy-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II would normally spend her weekdays at Buckingham Palace where she conducted the business of the monarch while spending weekends at Windsor Castle in Berkshire.
At Easter, the queen would move her court to Windsor where she spent a prolonged period of time with her children and grandchildren during their vacation time. Every year, she would spend the months of August and September at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire.
But where do the royals spend their Christmas? Newsweek has the answer.
Where Does the British Royal Family Spend Christmas?
For many years, successive generations of the royal family have held their Christmas celebrations in different royal residences.
Queen Victoria spent most of her Christmases with Prince Albert at Windsor Castle. After his death, she chose to spend them at the home he designed on the Isle of Wight, Osborne House.
As a child, Queen Elizabeth II spent her Christmases at Sandringham House, a private estate owned by the monarch in their own right.
When she became a mother and later the queen, Elizabeth II returned to Sandringham each December, staying until February. There was a period where family Christmases were spent at Windsor where the queen would host large family gatherings including cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends. However, the celebrations always returned to Sandringham.
In 2022, it was announced in December that King Charles III intended to continue his mother's tradition by spending Christmas at Sandringham with a group of family members where he will attend the annual Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene Church.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have a special connection to Sandringham as they were given a country house, Anmer Hall, on the estate by Queen Elizabeth after their marriage.
The Wales family as well as the queen consort and some of the king's siblings are expected to join him for the Christmas celebrations, during which his first festive broadcast will be made on Christmas day.
The History of Sandringham House
Since its purchase in 1862, members of the royal family have developed a deep affection for Sandringham House and its estate in the county of Norfolk in the northeast of England.
Prince Albert found the property and deemed it an appropriate residence for his oldest son, later King Edward VII. Albert died before the property could be purchased but Queen Victoria carried out her husband's wishes, though she only ever visited the place two times.
Edward and his wife, the future Queen Alexandra, overhauled the redbrick property, adding new wings and developing the estate. The Norfolk countryside was perfect for sport and successive generations have taken part in hunting and shooting across the estate.
When Edward VII died in 1910, Sandringham belonged to him outright, not the crown, and thus was inherited as private property by his son, King George V.
Queen Alexandra continued to live in the big house for the rest of her life and died there in November 1925. Three monarchs have died at Sandringham: Alexandra, George V in 1936, and King George VI in 1952.
Queen Elizabeth II held a number of important family events at the house, including christenings and the eponymous "Sandringham summit" where Prince Harry's and Meghan Markle's exit from the royal family in 2020 was negotiated.
When Elizabeth II died in September 2022, Sandringham was inherited as the private property of King Charles III. This, along with Balmoral Castle, is in his ownership outright, whereas Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace, St James's Palace, and Holyrood Palace belong to the state.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more