Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Celebrity News

    Here's a list of everything that the royal family eats on Christmas Day

    Hungry?

    Jadie Troy-Pryde's avatar
    By Jadie Troy-Pryde
    Published 12 December 2019 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    royal family christmas dinner 1086577454
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Hungry?

    Ever wondered what goes on behind the doors at Sandringham on Christmas Day? There's a rather unusual weigh-in tradition, they exchange some pretty hilarious gifts and you'll find that Prince George has probably opened his presents early.

    But what do they eat for their Christmas dinner?

    Former royal chef, Darren McGrady, told Good Housekeeping that they 'stick with the same meal year after year'.

    The Queen arrives around December 20th, and the rest of the family reportedly get to Sandringham on Christmas Eve, where they mingle and exchange presents as per German tradition. In the morning, they have a 'hearty breakfast' before heading to church.

    You may like
    • a hand with long pink nails holding a yellow gift card These No-Delivery Gift Cards Make Perfect Last-Minute Christmas Gifts
    • Liberty London Beauty Advent Calendar 2026 I Had My Pick Of 27 Advent Calendars This Year, Here’s Why Liberty’s Came Home With Me—And It’s Not Why You Think
    • Roasted carrots, parsnips, and onions: A chopping board with vegetables on for chicken soup My Grandmother Swore By Chicken Soup When We Were Ill—Our Experts Weigh In on Which Urban Wellness Legends Actually Work

    So what does a royal post-church Christmas lunch look like?

    'After church, that's when they have a big lunch that includes a salad with shrimp or lobster, and a roasted turkey, and all of your traditional side dishes like parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts and Christmas pudding with brandy butter for dessert,' he revealed.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    And that's not all. Apparently, they watch the Queen's Christmas Speech at 3pm, have a little bit of down time before reconvening for afternoon tea with fruitcake. In the evening, they enjoy a 'buffet dinner with 15-20 different items' with the chefs at the table carving.

    McGrady continued: 'Right before the Christmas buffet, the senior chef on duty goes into the dining room and carves the rib roast or turkey or ham and once he's done, Her Majesty presents the chef with a glass of whiskey and they toast.

    'That's the only time the chef goes into the dining room and has a glass of whiskey with the royal family. It's one of the chef's favourite traditions.'

    Hungry? Same.

    Jadie Troy-Pryde
    Jadie Troy-Pryde
    Social Links Navigation
    News Editor

    Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.

    Read more
    a hand with long pink nails holding a yellow gift card
    Shopping These No-Delivery Gift Cards Make Perfect Last-Minute Christmas Gifts
    Liberty London Beauty Advent Calendar 2026
    Beauty I Had My Pick Of 27 Advent Calendars This Year, Here’s Why Liberty’s Came Home With Me—And It’s Not Why You Think
     
     
    Roasted carrots, parsnips, and onions: A chopping board with vegetables on for chicken soup
    Nutrition My Grandmother Swore By Chicken Soup When We Were Ill—Our Experts Weigh In on Which Urban Wellness Legends Actually Work
    Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally, the classic autumnal romantic comedy that captures the cosy appeal of slowing down.
    Life When Did Doing Nothing Become So Much Work?
     
     
    Latest in Celebrity News
    Olivia Rodrigo performing on stage in a babydoll dress that sparked online debate, later prompting the singer to speak out about the sexualisation of girlhood and double standards facing young women.
    Celebrity News “We Really Normalise Pedophilia in Our Culture”: What Olivia Rodrigo's Babydoll Dress Backlash Reveals About Girlhood
    Meghan Markle in 'With Love, Meghan'
    Celebrity News Meghan Markle’s Sweet Glimpse Into Sussex Family Life Is Going Viral
     
     
    Anne Hathaway attends the premiere of The Devil Wears Prada 2
    Celebrity News Anne Hathaway Has Spoken Out About Her 10-Year Health Battle
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Isles of Mull and Iona
    Royal News Royal Experts Predict a Major Milestone From Princess Kate This Autumn
     
     
    Latest in News
    Jeans And Jackets
    Shopping Celine Dion, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sarah Pidgeon Swear by This Trophy Jacket-and-Jeans Formula for Instant Fashion Confidence
    Vogue World Robots
    Fashion AI Is Shaping the Future of Fashion—Can Creative Thought Survive?
     
     
    New Beauty Launches Romilly Wilde / Cécred / Bobbi Brown
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Cécred Comes to the UK, Romilly Wilde Returns & £22 Skincare Gets Serious
    The Beauty Digest: New Products to Know
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: A Foundation With Infinite Shades, Diptyque Does Bodycare, and the Exhibition Every Beauty Lover Should See
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.