The Middletons set to face bittersweet Christmas period after big family changes

The Middletons could be facing a bittersweet Christmas period this year after some big family changes in recent times.

The festive season is a time of family gatherings for the Royal Family and it’s also known to be an incredibly special period for the Middletons too. The Princess of Wales’s mother Carole has previously revealed how she likes to include her grandchildren in the Christmas tree decorating and make it magical for her family. Michael and Carole Middleton are believed to have last spent Christmas Day with Kate, Prince William, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis in 2021.

However, the Middletons could be facing a bittersweet Christmas this year as this might not happen again in 2023 due to Kate’s senior royal role. It's also possible they all might feel this even more given the arrival of a new Middleton baby in October.

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In the past Prince William and Kate used to switch up whose family they celebrated Christmas with, however pre-pandemic the last time they’d spent the big day with the Middletons is believed to be 2016. Since becoming Prince and Princess of Wales last year, though, the couple’s roles have become even more high-profile. The change in their titles has seen them take on more responsibilities as they support King Charles and Queen Camilla. 

When he was Prince of Wales, King Charles attended every royal Christmas for decades and this could set a precedent for Prince William and Kate. Their key positions in the Royal Family mean that they might celebrate at Sandringham with King Charles again this December and potentially most Christmas Days going forwards too. Meanwhile, the Middletons live in Berkshire which is around 3-4 hours away from Norfolk by car making a Christmas day trip unlikely.

This could make the Christmas period a little bittersweet for Kate and the Middletons as they might not spend Christmas Day together this year - or for several more years to come. With the arrival of James Middleton and his wife Alizée’s first baby, Inigo, in October, this could be felt even more as the Middletons could potentially all come together to celebrate what will be his first Christmas.

Even if Prince William, Kate and their kids don’t spend Christmas Day itself with the Middleton family this year, though, it’s likely that they will all see each other at another point during the festive season. Spending time with their grandchildren around Christmas is something that is understood to be very important to the Princess of Wales’s parents.

Carole previously revealed that she'd started a tradition of having another tree in her home for the children to decorate however they like. She showcased how much she loves making the festive season fun for her grandchildren and will no doubt make every effort to organise another gathering that Kate, Prince William and Prince George, Charlotte and Louis can attend if they do end up spending Christmas Day in Norfolk.

The Prince and Princess of Wales tend not to resume their engagements until January, giving them plenty of time to enjoy time with both the Royal Family and Middletons. Last year, Prince Louis made his debut walking to church on Christmas Day with his family and many fans will likely be hoping to see the Waleses walk together again this December.