How the Queen is spending her first Christmas Day without Prince Philip

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The official Royal website states: “On Christmas Eve, the royal family lay out their presents on trestle tables and will exchange their gifts at teatime.” All members of The Royal Household also receive Christmas presents from the Queen, with Her Majesty personally handing out gifts to some members of The Royal Household at Buckingham Palace and at Windsor Castle. open image in gallery Queen Elizabeth II after recording her annual Christmas Day message at Windsor Castle in December 2019 Christmas Eve feast The entire family sit down for a formal Christmas Eve dinner, where all guests are expected to wear black-tie or evening gowns. For dessert, former royal chef Darren McGrady said the family would tuck into a traditional Yule Log coated in a chocolate ganache as the Queen “loves chocolate.” Christmas morning Like most of us, the Queen is up at the crack of dawn on Christmas Day, but not to rip open her presents. open image in gallery Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service on December 25, 2017 According to Angela Kelly, the Queen’s official dresser who published a book on the subject in 2019, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, The Dresser and the Wardrobe, there are multiple outfit changes that occur on Christmas Day — and the preparations begin months in advance.