The royal family has celebrated Christmas at their Sandringham Estate for decades — and this year is no exception.
The New York Post confirmed Monday that Prince William and Kate Middleton will join their family at the late queen’s country estate in Norfolk, England for the upcoming holiday.
The Firm will celebrate the Yuletide with a family dinner followed by a gift exchange. They also typically attend Christmas Day church services at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene.
Grant Harrold, former personal butler to King Charles III, said the Prince and Princess of Wales are looking forward to spending time with their children — Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 — after such a difficult year.
Harrold noted that Middleton, 42, first noticed strange symptoms around this time last year. She underwent abdominal surgery in mid-January and was later diagnosed with cancer.
“Last Christmas she was probably aware that something wasn’t quite right, so I imagine it was quite a tough Christmas,” he told The Post.
Middleton completed her chemotherapy in September and has since slowly resumed her royal duties.
The staffer said this year’s celebrations will be “more positive, based on what we’ve been told.”
“It will be like any other Christmas, focused on the young family,” he shared. “They’re very family-orientated, like the late queen, so that will be their focus.”
Although the family usually arrives in Sandringham on Christmas Eve, Harrold suggested they might get “there the day before now.”
“If they’re already at Amner Hall, they’ll probably be up there before, especially with Kate not doing quite as much at the moment,” he said.
However, before heading to their private country retreat, Middleton will organize a special carol concert at Westminster Abbey on Dec. 6.
The historic church will be filled with over 1,600 people — including the survivors and the relatives of victims of the stabbing attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England.
Middleton reportedly “personally ensured” that each family was invited to the televised event, which will air on Christmas Eve. She also treated them to three days in London leading up to the special evening.
The mother of three chose the theme “Together at Christmas” to focus on “how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives.”
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