Princess Diana famously described the royal family’s traditional Christmas gatherings at Sandringham as “highly fraught,” “terrifying,” and “so disappointing” to her biographer, Andrew Morton. The late Princess of Wales even occasionally left the festivities early, highlighting her discomfort with the holiday tradition.
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Royal biographer Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, revealed on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show that Diana often departed Sandringham after lunch. When tensions were particularly high, these royal Christmases became a source of dread for her, leading her to leave even before lunch, sometimes only attending the church service.
Renowned royal photographer Arthur Edwards corroborated Seward’s account, recalling instances of seeing Diana on the motorway returning from Sandringham early. Interestingly, Queen Camilla, King Charles’ second wife, also used to depart early after marrying into the royal family in 2005, opting to spend time with her own family in Wiltshire.
The Christmas Day routine at Sandringham involves a morning church service at St. Mary Magdalene on the estate, followed by lunch and the monarch’s annual speech.
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Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, described Christmas at Sandringham as a “pressure cooker” for the princess in an interview with Marie Claire. While acknowledging her duty to attend, Burrell explained that Diana found the gathering overwhelming due to the strong personalities present and would leave as soon as possible.
The 2021 film Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, used Sandringham as the backdrop for its fictionalized narrative. Although dramatized, the film captures the essence of Diana’s struggles during the holiday. Diana’s former bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, confirmed the challenging atmosphere of Sandringham for the princess, describing it as “purgatory” in an interview with PEOPLE.
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Wharfe further elaborated that Diana sought refuge in the kitchen with the staff or with individuals like himself, hoping to pass the time until she could return to London. These accounts paint a vivid picture of Princess Diana’s challenging experiences during the royal family’s Christmas traditions at Sandringham.
