Inside Kate Middleton, Prince William's Christmas Celebration With George, Charlotte And Louis

Kate Middleton and Prince William had an "extra special" Christmas with their three children.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge reportedly planned to take their kids to Queen Elizabeth's Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England, for the holiday, but the monarch changed her plans and opted to stay in Windsor Castle amid the most recent rise in COVID-19 cases.

This year, Prince William and Middleton had their own quiet celebration with their kids Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3, at their countryside home, Anmer Hall, in Norfolk, Us Weekly reported.

On Christmas Day, their children woke up at 5 a.m. to check out the gifts Santa Claus left under the tree for them, an unnamed insider told the outlet.

"While Kate and William avoid overly spoiling the children, they let the rule slide at Christmas," the source said.

Prince William and Middleton reportedly gave Prince George a camping kit, which includes a tent, walkie talkies and a flashlight. Prince Louis received a climbing frame, while Princess Charlotte got a children's video camera that she adores, according to the insider. They also unwrapped several games and books Saturday morning.

The future king also wanted to make this Christmas "extra special" for his wife and surprised her with a bracelet, the tipster said.

Meanwhile, the duchess took over the kitchen to prepare the family's Christmas meal, with a little help from their children for the dessert.

"Kate cooked a traditional Christmas feast for lunch – turkey, stuffing, pigs in blankets, ham, roast potatoes and all the trimmings," the source said. "The children helped Kate bake a chocolate Christmas log and apple pie for dessert, but the highlight was making a gingerbread house, covered in their favorite sweets."

Middleton also used her creative skills to decorate the table with candles, evergreen branches and cones as centerpieces to make it more festive.

The family of five set off traditional English Christmas "crackers" to find confetti, paper crowns and other novelties. The kids loved reading the jokes that were found alongside the confetti, according to the source.

While they couldn't reunite with the rest of the royal family on the holiday, the Cambridges talked to the Queen, Prince Charles and a few other royal relatives via video chat that day, the insider said.

On Christmas morning, Prince William, Middleton and their kids were photographed attending church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church. The duke was behind the wheel of the car, while Middleton waved at crowds from the passenger's seat. Princess Charlotte sat between her two brothers in the backseat.