- Queen Elizabeth II's former royal aid, Angela Kelly, gave the 411 on the royal family's plans between Christmas and the New Year at Sandringham.
- Kelly revealed that the family keeps busy with shooting parties and scheduled events while the estate is full.
- She also explained that there was an expected dressed code—one that did not include any Christmas pajamas.
IDK about you, but one of my ultimate favorite things to do after Christmas is to load up on leftover dinner and treats, wear my comfiest pajamas, and park in front of the big screen until the calendar magically turns to another year. But when you're a member of the British royal family, post-Christmas celebrations are hardly ever that low-key. Because duh!
Former royal aid to Queen Elizabeth II, Angela Kelly, dished on what the royal family's time between Christmas and New Year's Day was like at Sandringham—and as expected, it was chock full of regal activities to keep everyone busy and entertained.
“The house is buzzing, and I love to hear the children running around, laughing and playing. It looks magical, too, with the tree and all the Christmas decorations,” she divulged in her memoir, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe.
The Queen would often host an array of guests as well, and likened it to the schedule she would keep at the royal family's summer destination, Balmoral, in Scotland. “Sandringham is for holidays, although spending time at either house isn’t all that relaxing, as there is a lot to do and many events to attend,” Kelly explained. “The Queen is just as busy as she would be in London, with more guests to entertain.”
There would be no binge-watch parties or matching pajama 'fits to be seen—according to Kelly, there would be daily shooting parties, dinners, dog walks and more festive family events just because. Each event would require a different outfit, too: “There may be several outfit changes in one day—it could be as many as five or even up to seven,” Kelly added.
And if you thought that you could get out of the extremely luxurious events because of inclement weather like snow or rain, the Queen simply expected you to show up anyway with the right attire. Kelly said the weather “can change so quickly around Sandringham. It can be beautiful one day and freezing the next,” but the Queen expected guests well dressed regardless.
So yeah, maybe I am jealous of the royals for purely financial reasons, but I'll keep my binge watch parties and corny sleep sets any day of the week, TYVM!
