Kate Middleton has not always been a princess. The now-Princess of Wales entered the royal family a little more than a decade ago, and before that, she enjoyed a quiet life with her parents and siblings.
Today, Kate has become one of the most popular royal family members. Even though they have their etiquette and ways of doing things, she and her husband, Prince William, have somewhat become role models in modernizing the monarchy, connecting with the public in a more relatable way.
Just days ago, Kate decided to share more about her private life as a never-before-seen picture of her as a baby was posted on their Instagram page. Fans loved the photo – and one detail had many going crazy.
This year, the royal family will, as always, spend the Christmas holidays at the Sandringham House Estate. One can imagine that these days, with many young children and grandchildren, royal Christmases are certainly louder and more hectic than before.
Royal Christmas
William and Kate are keen on continuing to celebrate Christmas with their family each year at Sandringham. They want to give their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, a yearly family tradition – not only because it’s fun, but because the couple wants to give their kids as “normal” a life as possible.
“It’s important to them that their kids share childhood traditions like their school pals,” an insider told Us Weekly some years ago. “They’re going all-out to make it extra special.”
The royal family has many unique traditions that have been around for decades. That also includes rules surrounding etiquette and appropriate behavior.
Speaking to The Sun, royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams revealed many traditions the royal family will follow this Christmas.
For example, arriving at Sandringham is not just driving up to the gate when you want to, but knowing in what order to arrive is essential.
“The royals usually arrive the day before Christmas, and they arrive in order of seniority. The least important members arrive first,” Fitzwilliams told The Sun.
Moreover, the royal family exchanges “joke gifts” on Christmas Eve.
“The presents are laid out in the red drawing room at Sandringham, and these are joke gifts. The royals don’t give each other expensive presents,” he said.
“It’s a joke or cheap present – what do you give to the family who has everything. On Diana’s first Christmas, she didn’t know that they gave cheap joke gifts, so she gave expensive presents and felt awkward. It’s Harry giving the queen a bath hat [and] Kate giving Harry a grow-your-own girlfriend kit, it’s fun.”
Kate Middleton recalls Christmas gift to the queen that could have gone “horribly wrong”
While the “joke gifts” are a wonderful tradition within the royal family, giving a monarch a Christmas gift isn’t easy. Just ask Kate Middleton, who was panicking beforehand when spending Christmas at Sandringham for the first time.
In a 2016 interview for the late queen’s 90th birthday, the Princess of Wales admitted that she didn’t know what to give Queen Elizabeth II for Christmas, especially as she thought it could have gone “horribly wrong” if it wasn’t good enough.
“I can remember being at Sandringham, for the first time, at Christmas. And I was worried about what to give the Queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking, ‘Gosh, what should I give her?'” Kate recalled.
However, ultimately, she came up with an excellent idea for what to give the queen.
“I thought, ‘I’ll make her something, which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny’s recipe of chutney,” she continued.
“I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table. I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me, and I’ve noticed since she’s done that on lots of occasions, and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness, really, and her care in looking after everybody.”
Etiquette around the dinner table is also essential for the royal family. That also applies when they are only together and not with other guests.
Camilla’s children might join for Christmas
For the Christmas lunch, royal etiquette expert Miranda Holder explained that salt and pepper must be sprinkled on the plates, not straight onto the food. Moreover, the royals, including King Charles, must hold their drinking glasses by the stem, not the bowl. When drinking, they should never extend their pinky finger either.
The fourth and probably most important rule for the royals is when King Charles stops eating and puts down his knife and fork, everyone else should do the same.
It is believed that William and Kate, along with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, will be at Sandringham alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla for Christmas this year.
It has been rumored that Camilla’s children and grandchildren will join them, which means George, Charlotte, and Louis will have plenty of playing buddies for the holidays.
The royal family has celebrated the festive season for a while, as several of their royal engagements have been about Christmas. Some weeks ago, Kate Middleton hosted the exceptional Carol service at Westminster Abbey for the third year in a row.
“This Carol service is a heartfelt thank you to all those across the UK supporting the very youngest members of our society during those crucial early years,” a message in the program read.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said Kate wanted everyone to reflect on the importance of new life.
“Christmas is a time when we celebrate the birth of a newborn baby. It is a reminder of how unique this time is, and how precious those early years are, as we start to form our very first relationships, bond with those closest to us, and explore the world in which we live,” the spokesperson said, as reported by Town&Country.
Kate Middleton brings her children to volunteer
“So, this Christmas, as we reflect upon the past year and look towards the future, let’s cherish the importance of new life and the remember the unique hope that this brings. And together, let’s commit to nurture the earliest years in a child’s life, not simply for the sake of our children, but for the future health and happiness of our communities and our society.”
Also, Kate included her children in the season giving, as they volunteered at a baby bank. The baby bank aims to support families with young children, and George, Charlotte, and Louis helped pick out toys to be given as presents.
“There’s lots of people who give up their time and come and help out – and you’re the volunteers for this evening,” Kate told her children.
We are not too spoiled with seeing pictures of Kate Middleton before she attended St. Andrew University and began dating Prince William. But now, the Prince of Wales has decided to share a lovely photo from her childhood, and royal fans can’t believe what they see.
The adorable picture of baby Kate enjoying Christmas – shared on social media to promote Kate’s Christmas carol concert shown on television on Christmas Eve– was taken in 1983. The then soon-to-be two-year-old is seen sitting at the dinner table wearing a cute necklace.
Kate shares a photo of her as a baby – she looks just like Prince Louis
While royal fans loved the never-before-seen picture of a young Kate celebrating Christmas, there was one thing everyone kept talking about. It turns out Louis is the spitting image of her mother – and we couldn’t agree more.
“I think we can all agree Louis is the spitting image of his mother…..the Middleton gene is visible,” one user commented on the Instagram post.
“Catherine was so cute, Louis is literally her twin waww,” a second added.
A third wrote, “That’s literally Prince Louis if he was a girl,” and another stated, “Copy and pasted Little Louis.”
A fifth user concluded that all three of Prince William and Kate’s children appear to have gotten genes from three different royals.
“George looks Spencer, Charlotte looks Windsor (specifically the late Queen), and Louis obviously looks Middleton,” the person stated.
Born on January 9, 1982, at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Kate grew up in a happy home with her parents and two younger siblings; sister Pippa and brother James. Her parents found their company, Party Piece, on Kate’s fifth birthday when her parents realized there was a gap in the market for elegant tablescapes.
Kate’s mother said that only being able to find paper plates with clowns on them while planning Kate’s fifth birthday party led her to create the business.
Kate’s teenage years has formed her motherhood
The company was blooming, but as Kate became a teenager, things turned ugly. When attending the all-girls boarding school Downe House, Kate was bullied. Luckily, she changed schools and later began studying at St Andrews, where, as we all know, she met the love of her life, Prince William.
The days of being bullied and badly treated undoubtedly strengthened Kate Middleton’s character, and today, she has gotten her revenge.
Meanwhile, former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond states that Kate’s experiences have shaped her children’s school days.
“The Prince and Princess of Wales have made it clear that their young family will, as far as possible, come first, and that includes sending all three to day school, rather than having them as boarders away from home,” Bond told OK!
“Catherine had a very unhappy time at Downe House in her first two terms and was bullied quite badly before she left and moved to Marlborough College.”
The royal expert added: “This has completely influenced the way she wants her children to be educated, coupled with her belief and research into early years development.”
Moreover, Jenny Bond states that Kate was heavily involved in finding a school for her children that was kind and inclusive. Today, all three attend Lambrook, a mere 15-minute drive from the family’s Windsor home.
“For the moment at least it seems William and Catherine want to keep their children close, as day pupils at Lambrook, in a happy and nurturing environment,” Bond told OK!.
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