Despite having their Christmas plans scrapped at the last minute – with the Queen cancelling the Royal Family's Christmas Day visit to her Sandringham Estate – the Cambridges still had an "extra special" time over the holidays, according to a close source.
Speaking to US Weekly, the insider said that Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three children enjoyed an intimate day at their Amner Hall home in Norfolk, with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis apparently waking their parents up at 5am to see what Santa Clause had brought them.
"While Kate and William avoid overly spoiling the children, they let the rule slide at Christmas," the source pointed out, before revealing what the Cambridge kids found waiting for them under the Christmas tree. Much like their great-grandfather, Prince Philip, who was a fond lover of outdoor activities, 8-year-old Prince George and 3-year-old Prince Louis were treated to a camping kit and an adventure climbing frame. As for 6-year-old Princess Charlotte, her gift proves she's very much following in the footsteps of her mum (who's a keen photographer), as she was gifted a video camera.
After the excitement of opening up their gifts, the family sat down for a homemade Christmas dinner, cooked by the Duchess of Cambridge herself. "Kate cooked a traditional Christmas feast for lunch – turkey, stuffing, pigs in blankets, ham, roast potatoes and all the trimmings," the insider added. She also "used her creative skills to decorate the table with candles, evergreen branches and cones as centrepieces."
And, when it came time for dessert, the Cambridge kids helped their mum in the kitchen. "The children helped Kate bake a chocolate Christmas log and apple pie for dessert, but the highlight was making a gingerbread house, covered in their favourite sweets," the source revealed.
To make up for missing out on spending the day with the Queen, the insider says the Cambridge family video-called Her Majesty to send festive well wishes to Windsor Castle. The call reportedly "brightened" up the Monarch's day who, the source explains, "struggled a bit" on her first Christmas without her husband of seven decades, the Duke of Edinburgh, who sadly passed away earlier this year.
"Obviously, the Cambridges were disappointed not to be spending the day with the queen, but thanks to modern technology, they video called her first thing in the morning to wish her a Merry Christmas," the insider continued. "And the kids excitedly told their great-grandmother about their gifts."
