Sticking with Sandringham. Prince William and Duchess Kate will no longer switch off between spending Christmas with the royals and the Middleton family, an insider tells Us Weekly exclusively.
![Prince William and Duchess Kate will no longer switch off spending Christmas with the royal family and the Middleton’s](/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Prince-William-and-Duchess-Kate.jpg?w=1000&quality=40&strip=all)
“Moving forward, Kate and William will continue to do Sandringham every Christmas Eve and Day as opposed to alternating like they used to,” the insider reveals, noting that the pair will “visit the Middleton in Berkshire later in the festive season.”
“That’s the plan this year too,” the insider continues. “With the queen and Philip’s advancing ages, skipping years isn’t an option anymore.”
Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 92nd birthday this year, while Prince Philip, 97, made headlines in April after he underwent hip surgery. While the Duke of Edinburgh was forced to skip the family’s Easter service that month, he did attend Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s wedding in May.
Us previously confirmed that Harry, 34, and Meghan, 37, will also join the family at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England. The former actress’ mother, Doria Ragland, however, was not formally invited for the festivities.
“She is of course welcome at Sandringham,” a source previously told Us. “But she wasn’t formally invited for this Christmas.”
On Christmas Eve, the family, including William and Kate’s kids, Prince George, 5, Princess Charlotte, 3, and Prince Louis, 8 months, will open presents. Following a Christmas Eve dinner, the queen will signal it’s time for bed. The next day, their schedule includes church as a family and the monarch’s annual Christmas speech.
“Sandringham at Christmas is beautifully decked out with a number of trees with antique decorations collected over the years,” the first insider explained. “It’s an old home and may feel like it lacks modern amenities in some areas — it can get cold in the mornings and there are electric heaters dotted around in certain places — but it’s also a home filled with some of the most amazing antiques and artwork.”
With reporting by Jennifer Peros