If you ever find yourself in the exceptionally rare circumstance of being invited to Christmas with the Royal Family, don’t expect to find yourself catching up on the festive episodes of Doctor Who or EastEnders.
That’s because King Charles is reportedly “not a fan” of the family wasting the quality time together in front of the gogglebox.
It was already reported that King Charles had banned his guests from taking part in a fairly modern obsession, but it turns out he might forbid them all watching television too.
Paul Burrell revealed Queen Elizabeth would take the dogs out during her speech, saying “During the Queen’s speech the Queen would say ‘no, I’m not going to sit and watch it’ and she would take the dogs out while the rest of the family would watch.”
So what sort of pastimes do they enjoy? Paul shared that King Charles likes something "traditional."
He explained, "In the hallway, there is a table with a wooden jigsaw puzzle which everyone has a go at over the period. It's very homely with a huge log fire and they all thoroughly enjoy it. I think the King enjoys the tradition and familiarity."
Royal expert Jennie Bond told The Sun, “Christmas is a time of togetherness and for Charles, I imagine he would see this as a rare and wonderful day when the family can all be together. There is a lot in place for the day, including church and formal meals.”
She added that the family loves to “soak up the outdoors” because King Charles is not a “big fan” of watching television. It may even be viewed as “rude” to watch TV instead of throwing oneself into the Christmas festivities, the royal expert claimed.
However, we’d hazard a bet that Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton might try and sneak in the Christmas episodes of Strictly Come Dancing, as the Princess of Wales – like Queen Camilla – is a huge fan, and even followed in her footsteps with a visit to the studio this year.
Despite the seemingly strict ban on television, King Charles could make one exception to the rule – and it involves watching his own speech.
He’s not alone, either. The King's speech this year – which made history for two significant reasons - topped Christmas Day ratings despite drawing less viewers than his first Christmas speech in 2022.
Around 7.48 million people watched the monarch's address to the nation, with 5.9 million tuning into BBC One as Charles reflected on the “increasingly tragic conflict around the world”, according to overnight ratings.
As quoted by the Express, Paul Burrell, the former royal butler to the late Diana, Princess of Wales revealed that “they do sit down and watch the King’s speech… as well.”
However, while it might seem strict of the King to deny the family the near-universal tradition of sitting around the TV for the latest Christmas specials or their favourite films, the late Queen Elizabeth reportedly took it even further.
Her Majesty wouldn’t even join her family - and the nation - in tuning in to her annual Christmas address. In fact, she’d go outdoors to avoid it all.
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