Prince William eager to ditch outdated royal Christmas traditions as King Charles resists the change: expert
Prince William wants to modernize Christmas at the palace.
The claim was made by royal commentator and broadcaster Neil Sean, following reports that the Prince of Wales wants to eliminate what some consider a dated royal holiday tradition once he becomes king.
"Every year, the royals truly let their hair down and show off their sense of humor while having a gentle dig at each other out of the gaze of the public domain," Sean told Fox News Digital.
"Every Christmas Eve, the famous trestle table is set up, and depending on your seniority, you go up and get your Christmas present. These are £1 and £5 joke presents, an idea started by Queen Elizabeth II."
"According to this recent report, William wants to get rid of it because he believes it’s forced," said Sean.
"But the report is wrong. What William wants to do is include more participation from palace staff, where they could mingle. My sources tell me William enjoys the informal gatherings hosted by Princess Catherine’s family and wants to move in that direction — more family-oriented, less formal, and less about seniority."
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In addition to getting palace staff more involved with the festivities, the father of three is reportedly pushing to overhaul yet another longstanding royal ritual.
"Another tradition that is up for discussion is the famous Christmas Day walk to church," said Sean.
"It is well received and loved by all, according to the source. William thinks this also needs a radical rethink. He does not necessarily like being on display on what he views as a private and sacred day.
"However, while sometimes clashing with King Charles, he understands the public’s wish to see the royal family informally. For the king, however, it’s important to interact with the public who give up part of their Christmas Day to meet the royals."
The king, 77, isn’t the only one who is in favor of keeping the annual Christmas walk with the family.
"According to my source, this is one area that William and Catherine don’t necessarily agree on," Sean claimed, noting that the Princess of Wales shares the same mindset as her father-in-law.
"But like with so many things, it is all up for discussion in the future of the monarchy under King William."
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Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace for comment.
The Daily Mail previously reported that William had gotten used to spending Christmas privately with his wife and their three young children.
"Friends say the couple enjoy the Middleton-style ‘family chaos’ present-opening, rather than Sandringham’s more orchestrated festivities," the outlet reported.
British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital that William, 43, has an issue with the "hierarchical nature" of distributing gag gifts among the royals at Christmas. Inspired by his wife’s family, he’s said to be eager to introduce a more informal celebration when he becomes king.
"He rejects this sort of pecking order," Fordwich explained. "He isn’t comfortable with rigid class distinctions in general, which is consistent and a common theme regarding everything he touches. He wants his courtiers to feel less stiff, but he does his utmost to balance the monarchy’s pageantry while updating it to keep a degree of mystique."
"An example of this is that staff at the Duchy of Cornwall are no longer expected to wear ties during his visits, conveying a more casual atmosphere," she said. "At Adelaide Cottage, he’s fine with children running in and out. He’s already relaxed formal protocols of mandatory bowing and curtseying, making interactions more relatable — and as natural as meeting a future king can be."
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"He’s all for less pomp, more purpose," Fordwich added.
Sean said that, moving forward, William hopes to make the royal tradition of exchanging gag gifts more relaxed and inclusive, rather than tied to the hierarchy within the line of succession.
"He wants to get a huge barrel, put all the presents in, and simply call up various members of the family to plunge their hand in the barrel and reveal who they’ve got a present from," he said.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said that there’s no doubt the tradition, revamped or not, is here to stay.
"If the royals did not give each other joke gifts, it would be a joke," Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. "If those who have everything, or appear to, waste money on expensive presents, it would be ridiculous. It was once quipped that the tradition of joke gifts was ‘Dickens in a Cartier setting.’"
As for staff taking part in the festivities, Fitzwilliams admitted he has his doubts.
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"I would have thought household staff value what freedom they have during the festive season and use it to relax when not on duty," he said. "Serving royals requires formality. You just can’t relax conventionally."
True Royalty TV co-founder Nick Bullen previously told Fox News Digital that on Christmas Eve, the royals gather around to exchange wild and wacky gifts.
"They do like to have fun," said Bullen. "The presents they give to each other are normally quite silly. If you’ve got all the greatest jewelry in the world, all the greatest works of art in the world, all the greatest clothes in the world, what would you give each other for Christmas? It tends to be small joke presents."
According to Bullen, the royals get together every year at Sandringham, where they let loose.
"Do you know what a whoopee cushion is?" Bullen chuckled. "I’ve heard that they’ve been given in the past. I’ve heard that silly bath toys [were also] given in the past. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know. But slightly rude, slightly funny, slightly on-the-edge presents are of the order of the day."
"Queen Elizabeth II decreed early on that since the royal family is blessed with wealth and luxuries beyond imagining, presents exchanged should be gag gifts of the whoopee cushion variety," Christopher Andersen, author of "The King," told Fox News Digital.
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"Charles’s favorite Christmas gift was an upholstered white leather toilet seat — a gift from his sister, Princess Anne," Andersen claimed. "He liked it so much that he still travels with it when he goes abroad."
Royal photographer and broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that Princess Anne has been crowned "The Queen of Gifts" among her family.
"She gave a light-up pepper grinder to the late Prince Philip," she said. "This was the perfect gift for the ‘King of Barbecues.’"
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Prince Harry was the expert at choosing "rude" gifts to his grandmother’s delight, Andersen revealed.
"One year, it was a shower cap embroidered with ‘Ain’t Life a B-----,’" he alleged. "Another year, Harry gave the queen a ‘Big Mouth Billy Bass’ talking fish plaque. Whenever someone shrieked with surprise at a rubber snake or fake spider, the late queen used to say matter-of-factly, ‘Oh, that would be Harry.’"
William also liked to poke fun at both his younger brother and grandmother.
"Prince William gifted a ‘Grow Your Own Girlfriend’ kit to Prince Harry," Chard alleged.
Some reports claim it was Kate who gave that present to her brother-in-law before he met Meghan Markle in 2016.
"William also gifted a pair of comfy slippers to the late Queen Elizabeth II, emblazoned with her image. She was tickled pink," said Chard.