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. Culture
    2. Celebrity News
    3. Royal News

    The Queen brought the royal family's Christmas lunch forward for a very sweet reason

    Jenny Proudfoot's avatar
    By Jenny Proudfoot
    Published 21 December 2019 In Features

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

    (Image credit: Ben A. Pruchnie)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Royal Christmases are kept pretty secret, and aside from the traditional walk to church, a ban on Monopoly and their love of cinnamon stars, their traditions stay behind closed doors.

    From what we do know however, they are far from relatable.

    We are of course talking about the unique festive traditions, from entering the dining room in order of title to being weighed before and after their Christmas meal on antique scales to ensure that they have been fed enough.

    One of the relatable parts of a royal Christmas is the focus on family, something that came to light this week as the Queen’s Christmas lunch for her loved ones took place on Wednesday.

    Royal fans were confused as to why the celebrations were taking place a whole week before Christmas Day. The reason? Because that’s the only time everyone was free.

    You may like
    • Emilia Clarke Emilia Clarke: “That's my goal for the next decade of my life: to take it lightly. But it requires strength.”
    • Eva Omaghomi After 17 years in the Royal Household, Eva Omaghomi Talks Bringing African Design Talent to Harrods
    • A montage of photos from the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit How the British Grand Prix Has Become the UK’s Most Glamorous Sporting Weekend

    It doesn’t get more wholesome than that.

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were forced to miss the celebrations, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex currently undertaking a six week break from their royal duties. They are rumoured to be spending the holidays in California with Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland. We're sure they will be celebrating with the rest of the Mountbatten-Windsors when they're back though.

    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.

    Royals - they’re just like us.

    Jenny Proudfoot
    Jenny Proudfoot
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Features Editor

    Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

    In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.

    Read more
    Emilia Clarke
    Culture Emilia Clarke: “That's my goal for the next decade of my life: to take it lightly. But it requires strength.”
    Eva Omaghomi
    Fashion After 17 years in the Royal Household, Eva Omaghomi Talks Bringing African Design Talent to Harrods
     
     
    A montage of photos from the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit
    Health and Fitness How the British Grand Prix Has Become the UK’s Most Glamorous Sporting Weekend
    Notting Hill Carnival
    Culture The Agenda: How to Spend Your Finite Free Time Well This Summer
     
     
    Latest in Royal News
    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
    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Colombia
    Royal News Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Had a Secret UK Home in the First Year of Their Marriage
     
     
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit Southport
    Royal News Prince William Has Given an Emotional Update on Princess Kate
    The Prince and Princess of Wales attend a state visit by the President of the French Republic in 2025
    Royal News Why Prince William and Princess Kate ‘Won’t Change" Their Minds on the Buckingham Palace Situation
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Why We Hold Onto Things From Our Past: A Collection of Sentimental Keepsakes, Old Photographs and Letters
    Relationships Why Is It So Hard to Throw Away Things From Our Past?
    Health Writer Ellie-Mae Hammond trying the NS
    Female health I Tried the ‘NSDR’ Relaxation Technique for 6 Weeks—Can Finding Time to Do Nothing Really Boost Our Energy?
     
     
    Beauty Digest: New beauty products Givenchy /  Diptyque / Jones Road / Dr Reju-All / Liberty London
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Lip Balms Are the New It-Bags, Diptyque Does Halloween & Bobbi Brown Does It Again
    What is Volufiline?
    Skincare Volufiline is the Latest Ingredient Being Lauded as a Filler Replacement, but Do Dermatologists Agree?
     
     
    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.