Strict Rules About The Holidays That The Royals Can't Break

Like any other ordinary family, the royals spend the holidays together, and with these holidays come some special (and strict) traditions. Most of us have holiday traditions we look forward to every year, whether that be Easter egg hunts, fun board games, or decorating the Christmas tree. However, while most of us probably don't get into too much trouble when we break or bend some family holiday traditions, the royals can't exactly let loose over the holidays. In fact, they need to remain as prim and proper as ever.

From taking a freezing walk to church to arranging and attending some formal luncheons, it's safe to say that the holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for the royal family. And unlike the rest of us, they don't have the option to escape to a sunny beach somewhere when all their public obligations are done. Nope, the royals all spend Easter and Christmas together; the latter is usually celebrated at Sandringham with the whole family present, and while it's a big estate, even we have to admit that it probably gets a little crowded sometimes when the whole family's gathered for the holidays.

Most of us get to wind down and just be ourselves among family, but the royals still follow strict rules even when it's just them — and honestly, it seems a little exhausting. Let's take a peek at what they can and can't do when the holidays roll around.

For all their formalities, the royals still value some good old-fashioned fun, and just like the rest of us, they like to celebrate Easter with an egg hunt. This tradition dates back to Queen Victoria, who loved hunting down painted eggs her mother hid and continued the tradition with her own children. The hunt is usually organized by one of the family members, and royal biographer Ingrid Seward told The Sun she's pretty confident that Princess Catherine is the one who does it these days, thanks to her killer organization skills. In the past, the royals even invited families in the area to bring their children over for some Easter fun. In 2017, Windsor Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace invited children from all over to come and take part in Easter activities like egg hunts and craft projects.

Sadly, Queen Elizabeth II never took part in Easter egg hunts (not that we know of, anyway), but she's been gifted some cool Easter-inspired trinkets over the years. The former Ambassador of Ukraine, Volodymyr Khandogiy, presented the queen with a wooden egg when he paid a visit to Buckingham Palace once. The egg features a hand-painted portrait of young Queen Elizabeth, and it appears the queen was so fond of it that she made sure it got a mention on the royal website. It remains to be seen if King Charles joins his grandchildren for an egg hunt. We're waiting with bated breath.

Now, this is a tradition we can get behind! Taylor Swift sings about keeping the Christmas lights up until January, but Queen Elizabeth II stretched it until February. So next time someone dares to question your decision to keep those decorations up, you just tell them the queen did it (and T-Swift does it, apparently), which means it's the sensible thing to do.

On a more serious note, the reason Queen Elizabeth held off on taking down the decorations is actually pretty special and also incredibly sad. While many superstitious folks believe that keeping Christmas decorations up past Twelfth Night (January 5) and Epiphany (January 6) is inviting bad luck, the queen clearly wasn't the superstitious sort, because she went ahead and started the tradition of keeping the Christmas vibe alive and well until February 6. Why that specific date? Because it's the anniversary of her father King George VI's death. The queen saw keeping Christmas decorations up until that date as a way to remember her father, and in the past, she would stay at Sandringham to honor this anniversary on her own before heading back to resume her duties at Buckingham Palace. (We're not crying, you're crying!)

Queen Elizabeth II's annual Christmas luncheon at Buckingham Palace was a very exclusive and extravagant affair that was often attended by up to 50 extended family members. For all the fanfare, the public has never gotten an inside glimpse at the luncheon. But of course, people talk, so we do know some of what transpires behind the castle walls at this annual Christmas event. 

For one, it's reported that the queen used to delight young royals at the luncheon by gifting them something small, and that Meghan Markle once pulled a Christmas cracker with none other than King Charles III. Known for her fun-loving spirit, Meghan shared the joke inside the cracker with the rest of the family and put on the paper hat that was inside (why, oh why are we deprived of photos from this event?).

It's not all fun and games, though. It's still a very formal event that follows strict rules, and outsiders aren't welcome, even if they're dating one of the royals. Princess Catherine wasn't invited to the royal Christmas luncheon until she was engaged to William. Her first time attending was also the first time she met the rest of his family. The pressure must have been insane. "There's so much etiquette, there's so much decorum, there's so much that can go wrong," royal expert Suzannah Zuckerman told The Today Show after it was revealed that Catherine had finally been invited to this major royal holiday event.

When packing for your Christmas holiday at Sandringham, you better remember to bring your mitts and woolly socks. Because when you're a member of the royal family, you have to walk to church on Christmas morning, come rain or shine.

The walk from Sandringham to St. Mary Magdalene Church on Christmas morning is a longstanding royal tradition. In fact, it's possible that the traditional walk is more entertaining to the onlookers who gather than it is for the royal family (we all know we'd endure basically any weather if it meant getting to see our favorite celebs or royals, but we, unlike them, have a choice in the matter). Luckily, the royals don't have to walk far at all: The walk is about 300 meters, which is a blessing, given that women typically wear heels to church, and no one wants achy feet on Christmas Day.

The reason the royals attend St. Mary Magdalene Church is, well, because it's super close to Sandringham, but Queen Victoria also visited the church during her time and likely started the tradition. Queen Elizabeth II religiously attended church on Christmas Day. This was, in part, because she was the Supreme Governor and Defender of the Faith of the established Church of England, but also because she was a devout Christian. With King Charles III taking over his mother's duties, it's very likely he will continue this annual walk.

If you ever find yourself privileged enough to share a meal with the monarch of England, you better keep an eye on them at all times, because once they stop eating, so should you, even if your stomach is still growling with hunger. Yup, the monarch sets the pace, and you better follow suit, unless you want to suffer terrible embarrassment.

This rule applies to guests and family members, which means those sharing a meal with the monarch over the holidays better eat fast if they don't want to miss out on all the delicious food. Of course, it's possible to get lost in a conversation with someone else at the table and forget to keep an eye on the king or queen. According to former royal butler Paul Burrell, this has happened on one occasion. "I was once on the Royal Yacht Britannia in the South Pacific and the queen was hosting a dinner for a local prince," he told The Guardian, explaining that the prince started to enjoy his dessert (which was a sort of fruit soup), not noticing that the queen had finished eating. "He was about to raise the bowl to his lips to drink it when he looked at the Queen and realized he had made a terrible mistake. Not wanting to make him feel awkward, she picked up her finger bowl and took a sip," Burrell recounted. Trust the queen to make light of an awkward situation.

We don't know about you, but when we think about spending Christmas with the royals, elaborate gifts are definitely among the things that come to mind. That couldn't be farther from the truth, though. While royal children tend to receive bigger gifts, the adults use it as an opportunity to provide each other with a good laugh. Per Express, Queen Elizabeth II's nephew, Viscount Linley, once described opening Christmas gifts with the royals as a "total uproar."

The royals uphold the German tradition of opening gifts on Christmas Eve, and they reportedly do this in the red drawing room at Sandringham every year. If you've ever wondered whether the royals have a sense of humor, wonder no more. One year, Princess Anne gave King Charles III a leather toilet seat (yes, for real!), and even though it was supposed to just be a joke, Charles took such a liking to this gift that it now travels the world with him. Princess Diana, known for her witty streak, gave Sarah, Duchess of York (also known as Fergie), a leopard-print bath mat one year. Prince Harry, who shares his mother's penchant for mischief, reportedly once gave Queen Elizabeth II a quirky shower cap with the phrase "Ain't life a b*tch" printed on it (we'd sell some of our most precious belongings to get a picture of Her Majesty wearing that cap!). Prince William and Princess Catherine, in turn, once gave Harry a "grow-your-own-girlfriend" kit.