Prince William’s ‘dreadful’ Christmas habit Princess Diana thought he’d 'picked up' from her

Prince William’s “dreadful” Christmas habit that Princess Diana feared he’d picked up from her in childhood was once revealed by his late mother. 

• In a sweet private letter written in 1985 Princess Diana is said to have revealed she opened her Christmas presents early. 
• And according to the late Princess of Wales this was something she thought her eldest son Prince William could’ve “picked up” from her.
• This royal news comes as it’s revealed Kate Middleton and Prince William are set to relive wedding nostalgia as they teamed up with a very special star.    

When it comes to Christmas presents, the Royal Family are known for preferring more low-key options, with Kate Middleton’s “frugal” Christmas gift for the Queen said to have gone down brilliantly with the late monarch. Royal Christmas presents were something the late Princess Diana once opened up about in some truly enlightening private letters. Back in 2009 the Daily Mail reported some of the astonishing revelations that came to light in previously unseen letters from the Princess of Wales to her beautician Janet Filderman. 

One of these remarked upon Prince William’s “dreadful” Christmas habit and was something Princess Diana apparently feared he’d picked up from her! 

In the Princess’ letter, dated December 14 1985, Princess Diana is understood to have shared her suspicions that the future King had been opening his presents early. 

“As promised I rushed home to open your Christmas present, which I thought was quite good going considering the 25th is actually two weeks away!!”, Princess Diana apparently wrote, reflecting on how she also couldn’t wait until the big day. 

She continued, “I could not resist opening my present, as a parcel of any shape or form has never been safe with me and I fear that William has also picked up this dreadful habit from his mother, as I find wrapping paper undone in the most extraordinary places!”

This suggests that the three-year-old Prince was more than a little excited about his gifts. Her adorable “fear” that Prince William’s “dreadful” Christmas habit could’ve been picked up from her is jokingly expressed and it’s heart-warming to hear more about their experience of Christmas during her son’s younger years. 

Although Princess Diana’s decision to open her present two weeks before Christmas is very early, the Royal Family are known for opening their presents before Christmas Day. This Royal Christmas tradition can be traced back to their German heritage and the royals are understood to unwrap their gifts on Christmas Eve. 

Meanwhile, in another letter also sent to Janet Filderman in 1987, Princess Diana disclosed the fail-safe gift she would always have been delighted to receive.

"I can never get enough photograph frames for the amount of pictures I take of my small men and the arrival of yours is just perfect," the mother-of-two declared. “William and Harry had the best Christmas ever and I am exhausted just trying to keep up with them as they run around. Anyway, at least they sleep well."

It’s clear that capturing precious memories of her two boys in photo form was incredibly important to Princess Diana. During her marriage to the then-Prince Charles, the family often spent Christmas at Sandringham with the Queen. This year King Charles will also be hosting the festivities in Norfolk and it’s thought likely that Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children will be celebrating with him.