Royal Family Christmas Traditions, Photos, Documents Revealed In New Book

The British royal family’s Christmas traditions will be chronicled in a new book by the Royal Collection Trust. It will be available starting Oct. 18.

Some of the contents of the book include photos and documents from the Royal Archives, Christmas cards handwritten by Queen Victoria’s children, more recent Christmas cards featuring the throwback photos of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret that were taken by Marcus Adams.

The Royal Collection Trust’s newest publication will also feature historic documents regarding the food and drink that were served to Queen Victoria and her family on Christmas Day in 1899.

Personal items that were given to the members of the royal family will also be shown in the book. This includes a jeweled brooch given by Prince Albert to Queen Victoria in 1841, pictures of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret performing in “Sleeping Beauty,” “Aladdin,” and “Old Mother Red Riding Boots” at Windsor Castle.

At present, the royal family spends the holidays in Sandringham. But the Queen still honors the tradition her family had at Windsor Castle every December. One tradition was started by Queen Charlotte in the 1970s, and it is a festive display at the castle. Last year’s tree was adorned entirely in gold.

In related news, Her Majesty recently made headlines for signing a bill for parents to be given paid leaves over their children’s death. The new law is expected to come into force by 2020. More specifically, the Parental Leave and Pay Bill will give employed parents who lose a child before 18 years old of age two weeks-worth of paid leave.

Kelly Tolhurst, a business minister, said, “This law makes Parental Bereavement Leave a legal right for the first time in the UK’s history. Losing a child is an unimaginable trauma. I am delighted we have reached this important milestone which so many have campaigned for.”