Princess Diana made this present faux pas for her first Christmas with the royals


As you might expect, Christmas in the royal family is a pretty big deal that is steeped in tradition, from what they eat for their Christmas dinner to what they wear during the many celebrations (remember, no diamonds before 6pm).
But they also have little, more unexpected traditions that are much less stuffy than what protocol dictates. At 6pm on Christmas eve, they all exchange presents, but the rule is that they have to be joke ones, cheap and cheerful, because let's be honest, when you have everything already, what else could you possibly need.
So last year for example, Prince Harry got the Queen a shower cap, and Kate Middleton reportedly once got Prince Harry a grow-your-own-girlfriend kit - pre Meghan Markle of course! And Meghan apparently gave the Queen a singing hamster on a string last year.
However one royal who didn't get the memo, for her first Christmas with the royals at least, was Princess Diana. According to Reader's Digest, in 1981, the newlywed apparently gave Princess Anne a lovely cashmere sweater, and in return she got a toilet roll cover. Chic.
Diana had a good sense of humour though, so she quickly recovered, buying a leopard-print bath mat for Fergie the following year.
With Christmas round the corner, we can't wait to see which presents they get this year.
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Penny Goldstone is the Contributing Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. She writes about catwalk trends and the latest high street and Instagram sartorial must-haves. She also helms the Women Who Win franchise.
She has worked in fashion for over 10 years, contributing to publications such as Cosmopolitan, Red, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist.
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