The Christmas countdown is on at the royal residences – and visitors will be able to enjoy some festive family fun as early as next month. Here’s everything you need to know…
Traditionally the royals gather at Sandringham for their Christmas celebrations(Image: Francis Dias/NEWSPIX INTERNATIONAL)
It might only be October, but thoughts are already turning to Christmas celebrations for those within the royal households .
The Royal Collection Trust has now revealed exactly when the regal residences will be decked out for the season – and when they will open their doors for festive visitors.
A must-see for royal fans this Christmas is Windsor Castle. From November 27 until January 5 2026, members of the public will be able to step inside and admire their spectacular festive decorations – including the main event, a 20-foot-high Nordmann fir tree in St George’s Hall.
In keeping with tradition, it will be cut down from Windsor Great Park in time for the festive display.
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A 20-foot-high Nordmann fir tree will be on display inside St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle(Image: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2024)
Visitors can also admire another dazzling tree in the Crimson Drawing Room, which will stand at 16 feet tall. Those with tickets for the castle during the Christmas holidays can also enjoy some arts and crafts activities, when children can create a special memento to take home.
For the very first time, the shop at the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace is also being transformed into a winter wonderland this year.
The pop-up shop will be filled with the Royal Collection Trust’s seasonal bestsellers, Hello reports. It was originally mis-reported that this was a Christmas market, but the team have since set the record straight on the small-scale shop.
Royal fans in Scotland can also enjoy the festive celebrations. The Palace of Holyroodhouse, at the foot of Edinburgh’s iconic Royal Mile, will be decked out from 20 November until 5 January 2026.
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The Palace of Holyroodhouse will also be transformed for the festive season(Image: PA)
Highlights include the beautiful wood-panelled Throne Room, which will boast two majestic 12-foot-high Christmas trees, while the Great Gallery will house a 15-foot-high Nordmann fir tree.
The palace will also be decorated with festive wreaths and garlands, and visitors can also see a magnificent dining table laid out in all its glory with a silver service.
On 9th and 10th of December, there will be evening Christmas carol performances , while on December 13, the Palace will host a Christmas activity day with arts and crafts, activities, and festive music performances for all to enjoy.
In keeping with a long-standing tradition, the monarch will host Christmas at Sandringham, with the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their children, expected to attend.
Other family members likely to gather at the Norfolk estate include Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence, Zara and Mike Tindall, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, along with Lady Louise and James, Earl of Wessex.
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Andrew and Sarah are unlikely to join the royal family at Sandringham for the Christmas celebrations(Image: ©Karwai Tang)
However, there will likely to be two notable absentees this year. According to The Times, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have both been asked by the monarch not to join the family at Sandringham due to further revelations in the press about their ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“You can’t sack someone from being your brother,” a royal insider said of King Charles ‘ strained relationship with Andrew, as well as his plans for the upcoming holiday season. The source went on to suggest it would be “honourable” if both the Duke and Duchess of York skipped the family’s festivities, and helped the King in “avoiding” any more “difficult decisions”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are also unlikely to receive an invite. They are instead expected to remain in California with their two children and Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.
Meghan spent just two Christmases with the royal family, in 2017 and 2018. Her first invitation to Sandringham came five months before her wedding to Harry – and was an unprecedented move from Her Majesty the Queen. Neither Princess Kate nor Duchess Sophie spent Christmas Day at Sandringham with their in-laws until after they had tied the knot.