Members of the U.K. public give members of the royal family gifts during their Christmas walkabout — but what happens to the presents?
Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, are traditionally the royal family members who receive gifts from the public on Christmas. As it turns out, Buckingham Palace does actually have an official gift policy for the royal family. In order for the kids to keep what’s given to them, some specific criteria needs to be met.
Hello! Magazine previously reported that royal protocol states the royal family “are not permitted to keep particular gifts, no matter how graciously they initially accept them.” Instead, they will be added to the Royal Collection.
However, there is a bit of a loophole when it comes to the kids.
The seven-page “royal gift policy” shared on the royal family’s official website notes that George, Charlotte and Louis can accept flowers, food and other consumable items — within a reasonable quality — from people not personally known to the royal family.
Books that aren’t controversial are also accepted, but only if they’re presented by the author. The kids can also take items of “small monetary value,” which cost less than $200. The royal family will return gifts to whoever gave them if they feel another organization can benefit.
George, Charlotte and Louis join their parents, Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton, for the annual walkabout at Sandringham every Christmas. Other traditions from the family include attending mass at St. Mary Magdalene Church before listening to King Charles III’s Christmas address.
This year, the holidays with the royal family are keeping a positive tone following past health struggles and scandals.
“The celebration may carry a wistful tone,” a source told Us Weekly exclusively in our cover story earlier this month. “However, it will also be a time of celebration, especially after Kate received the all-clear.”
The insider added, “They all want to make the most of their time together.”
While Kate, 43, went into remission this past January after a years-long cancer battle, Charles, 77, still isn’t out of the clear.
“Charles prioritizes duty, but he’s also a family man who knows his time is precious,” the same source continued. “He wants a special last Christmas in case it’s his last.”
Charles is set to take part in the annual walkabout.
“Nothing would stop Charles from doing that,” the source said, referring to the family’s Christmas traditions. “He will do everything expected of him and more.”
The same insider said that Charles hopes to have “a traditional holiday with all the royals” this time around. “Every family Christmas is precious, but it’s especially so for him this year.”
The royal family’s Christmas celebration comes after the king shared a positive message about his cancer battle in a video released on December 12.
“Today I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to ‘doctors’ orders’, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the New Year,” he said. “This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years; testimony that I hope may give encouragement to the 50 percent of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives.”
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