23 December 2023 , 11:08
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Princess Diana was in an awkward position when Prince Charles didn't tell her about an important Christmas royal present tradition.
Usually, the Royals exchange what's known as "gag gifts" on Christmas Eve. However, Charles forgot to mention this important tradition to Diana ahead of her first Christmas visit at Sandringham.
In December 1981, Princess Diana headed to The late Queen's estate for Christmas with her new husband Prince Charles. However, the latest addition to the family was left mortified when she realised the Royals always opt for low-key presents - and she hadn't been warned in advance.
Richard Fitzwilliams said: "Diana famously didn’t handle this gag gift tradition well. The tradition in Sandringham is to give these little sort of jokey presents.
"But Diana was left out in the cold because Charles never told her about this family tradition - and how was she to know?"
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Diana was reportedly "very bitter" and felt like she was being made the joke, especially after she bought expensive cashmere jumpers for everyone.
However, she didn't make the same mistake again and reportedly gave her sister-in-law Sarah Ferguson a leopard print bath mat the following year.
The royal family are steeped in tradition (Popperfoto via Getty Images)It comes after it was revealed that the late Queen let her corgies maul a Christmas present given to her by Meghan Markle. The Sun reported that the Duchess of Sussex gifted a “bizarre” hamster toy to the Queen in 2017 during Meghan’s first trip to Sandringham for the festive season.
Gifts are opened on Christmas Eve, which is a tradition inherited from the German side of the family. Other traditions among the Royals involve a luncheon the week leading up to Christmas, usually held at Buckingham Palace where extended members are invited to the event. It is likely this year will see Prince William, King Charles and other members of the family attend.
Christmas cards are a keen tradition for the family, who send out their annual holiday cards every year. Signings were said to start in the summer months when Queen Elizabeth II was still head of state, though this may have changed following her death in September 2022.
This year Prince William and Kate Middleton are expected to spend December 25 at Sandringham, as is tradition, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “have not yet been invited.”
The last time the couples celebrated the festive period together was five years ago in 2018, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are thought to be planning on celebrating again in California.