A Traditional Royal Christmas

royal chritmas card

A Very Merry Christmas Card from the Royal Family

All families have their own Christmas traditions. Whether it’s baking gingerbread cookies, taking part in carol singing or simply getting together to watch your favourite holiday movies.

But have you ever wondered how the Royal family celebrate the lead up to Christmas?

Read on to hear some of the better known Royal family Christmas traditions. You can learn more about the secretive ones on London Magical Tours’ award winning London Christmas Lights Tours.

 

Present exchange

When do the Royal Family exchange gifts? Clue: It’s not Christmas Day!

One of the most famous Royal family traditions was introduced by Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. In line with German tradition, the Royal family actually exchange their gifts on the 24th of December, Christmas Eve. The gifts are then laid out on tables for each family member to open after tea time (that’s after dinner for our non-UK cousins).

 

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Christmas Day service – At Sandringham

The monarch traditionally spends Christmas at the residence known as Sandringham, a countryside estate in Norfolk. The invited Royal family members visiting that year are then given an allocated time to arrive at Sandringham: the youngest member arrives first and the eldest member last. Once everyone has arrived, the final touches are put on the Christmas tree, a tradition also made popular by Prince Albert.

 

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The Kings Christmas Speech. Credit BBC

Christmas Day begins with the Sandringham Christmas Day service, where the Royal family attend mass and step out of the St Mary Magdalene Church to greet the public.

To conclude Christmas Day, King Charles will continue the tradition of broadcasting a speech to the country and across the Commonwealth. As the speech is pre-recorded, the royal family will watch it together after their Christmas lunch. In previous years this has include prawns or lobster for starters, a turkey with all the trimmings as the main course – and Christmas pudding with brandy for dessert.

 

For more information on London Magical Tours’ luxury London tours,  as well as this year’s Christmas tours, visit the London Magical Tours website: https://www.londonmagicaltours.com

 


Charles I. Charles II. And now King Charles III

Children enjoying their visit to Windsor Castle - with King Charles III!

Children enjoying their visit to Windsor Castle – with King Charles III!

On Saturday the 6th of May 2023, the nation will be partying to congratulate our new King Charles, Philip, Arthur, George – also known as King Charles III for short.

As the third King to hold the name Charles, we thought it would be a good time to step back in time to remind us of those previous royals to have shared the same name.

Back in the 16th century, King Charles I was the only monarch to have been decapitated for his ideas of absolutism, following in the ancient belief that kings were chosen by God to reign over their people – the Divine Right.

King Charles II, son of Charles I, was invited to take the throne on the condition that he would rule alongside Parliament, following the end of Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth. He came back from France, where he had been in hiding and became known as the “Merry Monarch”.

After over three and half centuries, things are somewhat different today. Although he shares the same family line of those previous Kings, Charles III is the eldest son of our dear late Queen Elizabeth II, a much admired world leader, who was known for her intelligence and benevolent nature.

King Charles III has come a long way from his days as Prince of Wales. He is greatly admired for his environmental work, as well as his charitable endeavours, including the great success of the Prince’s Trust.

Here at London Magical Tours, we invite you to come visit the UK this summer to continue celebrating  – and to share with you the changes that continue to make England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland such special nations to visit.

Please click on the links below for more details on our private london tours and private Windsor tours to discover more about King Charles III and his family.

God save the King!

 

 

 


Platinum Jubilee – Her Majesty’s 70th Anniversary Celebrations

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Final preparations are now in full swing to celebrate this year’s very special milestone – Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Her Majesty Elizabeth II has become the first monarch to ever celebrate a Platinum Jubilee this year – an incredible 70 years of service to the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.

There has been an overwhelming amount of interest in visiting London this year as a direct result and many of the events and celebrations taking place will culminate in a 4 day weekend at the start of June. Here are the confirmed highlights at the start of June period in what is sure to be a spectacular start to the Summer in London:

Thursday 2nd June

The Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour)

Starting at Buckingham Palace, the parade will go by the Mall to Horse Guards Parade, where more than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will celebate The Queen’s official birthday. The Parade will finish with a spectacular fly-past of the Royal Air Force, watched by The Queen and Members of the Royal Family from the famous balcony at Buckingham Palace.

Friday 3rd June

Service of Thanksgiving

Her Majesty will attend a special service of thanksgiving to celebrate the 70 years of Her reign at St Paul’s Cathedral in central London.

Saturday 4th June

The Derby at Epsom Downs

Accompanied by members of the Royal Family, Her Majesty will attend the horse racing derby at Epsom Downs.

Platinum Party at the Palace

The BBC will host a special live concert from Buckingham Palace to celebrate Her Majesty’s special occasion. The spectacular show will bring together some of the world’s biggest musician and entertainment stars to celebrate each decade of Her Majesty’s 70 year reign.

Sunday 5th June

The Big Jubilee Lunch

The Big Lunch was an event started over a decade ago to encourage communities to come together to celebrate their connections and get to know each other more in a spirit of fun and friendship. In 2022 The Big Lunch will bring the Jubilee celebrations into the heart of every community.

At London Magical Tours we are very excited to celebrate this historic celebration with our guests from across the world. Discover the best that London has to offer with your own private London tours and celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in style.

 

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Queen Elizabeth enjoying the Spring Sunshine with her horses

We wanted to share this lovely photo of Queen Elizabeth, age 94, horse-riding on the grounds of Windsor.

The Queen stunned royal fans yesterday evening by sharing this photo of her horse-riding.

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The Queen is pictured riding Fern – a 14 year-old Fell Pony – in Windsor Home Park.  The monarch wore a tweed jacket, gloves and a colourful headscarf and looked in great spirits!

Her Majesty has enjoyed riding since childhood and is closely involved with the welfare of the horses she owns for breeding, riding and racing.  The Queen loves her horses so much that it is often heard that she gives them a longer holiday each year than she does to her foot guards.

We would like to share a few of our favourite photos of Her Majesty with her horses through the years.

Did you know you can also visit some of the Queen’s personal favourite horses at the Queen’s Royal Stables, the Royal Mews in Buckingham Palace?

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Traditional Afternoon High Tea in London

Quintessentially British ... Traditional Afternoon Tea

Quintessentially British ... Traditional Afternoon Tea

Afternoon High Tea: what could be more British!

Despite being the national drink, it is thanks to Queen Catherine of Braganza, the Portuguese wife of King Charles II, that tea drinking was brought before the English royal court, starting a trend that would expand through the aristocracy of the 17th century and later into popular British culture.

If tradition is to be believed, afternoon tea as we know it today was ‘invented’ by Anna Maria, the wife of the seventh Duke of Bedford. It was back in 1841 when she first started drinking tea and having a bite to eat in the mid-afternoon, a means of bridging the gap that existed between lunch (eaten at about 1 o’clock) and dinner (eaten at around 7 o’clock). It wasn’t long before this become a social event, with the Duchess sending out invitations to guests to accompany her for afternoon tea at 5 o’clock.

By the 1860s the fashion for afternoon tea had become widespread. Such teas were elegant affairs: drunk from the best china and accompanied by deliciously prepared food pieces presented on beautiful china plates. On offer might be bread and butter, scones and cakes, as well as sandwiches with the crusts cut off.


London Magical Tours Tea Services

At London Magical Tours, we know the importance of this most British of institutions and are delighted to be able to offer our guests a range of tea drinking experiences to accompany our range of London Tours.

All our tea offerings include priority fast track service, an exclusivity only available to London Magical Tours clients, with a table being reserved and the food freshly prepared in time for your arrival – the perfect way to avoid lengthy lines and help get the most out of your day.

Afternoon Tea – Express Service

Traditional Afternoon Tea With Champagne Option

Express Afternoon Tea With Champagne Option

Guests on all our tours have the option to include afternoon tea with express service at our range of specially selected London hotels.

Treat yourself to freshly made scones with clotted cream and jam, finger sandwiches and a delicious selection of mini pastries, accompanied to drink with your choice of English tea, coffee or hot chocolate. An option with an accompanying glass of champagne is also available.

To view an example of an express afternoon tea menu please click here:

Express Afternoon Tea Menu

VIP Traditional Afternoon High Tea at the Diamond Jubilee Tea Room

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This quintessential tea drinking experience is available exclusively as an option to guests on our VIP level tours.

Founded back in 1707, Fortnum & Mason are Royal grocers to Her Majesty the Queen and one of the most beautiful stores in London.

London Magical Tours VIP clients are offered a special by invitation only experience to enjoy a luxurious traditional afternoon high tea service at the Diamond Jubilee tearoom, opened to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s 60 years as monarch in 2012.

Her Majesty The Queen with their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge

Her Majesty The Queen with their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge

Offering a fine range of sandwiches, the tea service is accompanied by scones with clotted Somerset cream and a selection of delicious afternoon tea cakes, along with the choice of tea or coffee.

London Magical Tours VIP guests also receive a complimentary gift from the store for their visit – simply present your special invitation to guest services.

To view an example of a VIP traditional afternoon high tea menu please click here:

VIP Afternoon High Tea Menu

Read more about our range of Private London Tours