The festive tradition that's 'frowned upon' in the Royal Family - but there's a very good reason why

From the monarch’s Christmas Day speech, to the annual walk to church, the Royal Family have become something of a fixture for many people’s Christmases - up there with mince pies and Mariah Carey.

But once the walkabout is over and the royals return to Sandringham House, only certain things are known about what takes place. This is why it’s always exciting when there’s a sneak peek into what happens behind closed doors - like the royal tradition Prince Harry is keeping up for Archie and Lilibet.

Darren McGrady, a former royal chef, previously shared more about what a typical Christmas Day at Sandringham looks like, including the surprising revelation that canapes before lunch are "frowned upon".

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For many people, grazing indulging throughout the day is one of the highlights of Christmas. However, according to Darren, the royals follow a strict dining routine and it doesn't leave much room for snacks pre-Christmas dinner.

Writing for the Daily Mail, he shared that Christmas Day starts with the women generally opting for "a light breakfast of sliced fruit, half a grapefruit, toast and coffee delivered to their rooms". In contrast, the men "come downstairs to the dining room for a hearty breakfast at 8.30am with eggs, bacon and mushrooms, kippers and grilled kidneys, to set them up for the 11am church service at St Mary Magdalene".

After the church service and walkabout, the family will return and head "straight into pre-lunch drinks", minus any canapes.

The former royal chef admitted that they'd "nibble on nuts" whilst enjoying their drinks if they were peckish, because "canapes before a full Christmas lunch are rather frowned upon". This makes sense given what time the Royal Family apparently eat their Christmas lunch - and the courses still to come.

The timings differ from family to family, though many people sit down to their roast turkey and all the trimmings mid-afternoon. Not the royals, though.

Darren claimed that the adults in the family would take their places ready for lunch at 1pm sharp. A traditional turkey is then served alongside an array of dishes, including mashed and roast potatoes, chestnut or sage and onion stuffing, cranberry sauce and bread sauce, Brussels sprouts, carrots and roast parsnips. The Christmas pudding closes the show, doused in fine brandy and decorated with holly.

There are reportedly two more mealtimes to go before the end of Christmas Day too. Darren discussed how they'd sit down to enjoy festive tea at 4pm - think "Christmas cake, a chocolate yule log, mince pies with brandy butter, scones and more sandwiches" before they would come together again for the buffet served at 8:15pm.

This spread would be full of what Darren calls "Old English cuisine" and supposedly included a stuffed boar’s head, ox tongue and boiled and roasted hams, salmon and game. Potatoes tossed in hollandaise sauce, sliced tomatoes or green leaves are served as an accompaniment.

With so many other festive dishes to enjoy on 25th December, it's no wonder there’s no canapes before lunch!