How Princess Diana broke tradition during first Christmas at Sandringham & why she hated spending holiday with royals
PRINCESS Diana broke a longstanding tradition during her first Christmas with the Royal Family and hated spending the holiday with them, it is claimed.
Each year the Royal Family celebrate Christmas with many traditions, including the giving of joke presents.
But as a newlywed in 1981, Diana wasn't aware and decided to play it safe by gifting a cashmere jumper to Princess Anne, experts told the Royals podcast.
Writer Zoe Borrell said: "When Diana first went she didn't know that there was this joke present tradition.
"So she had got Princess Anne this gorgeous cashmere jumper.
"It was all very sensible and expensive. And she handed it over and she hadn't been made aware that it was just novelty presents.
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"Poor thing! They don't communicate very well."
Zoe said: "Charles should have told her that before they went!"
Royal writer Angela Mollard replied: "I don't think they were talking much!
"They got married in August and I don't think they were talking by December.
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"So he didn't give her that information and she was very annoyed about it."
But by the following year Diana was on board and presented Fergie with a leopard-print bath mat.
Both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle managed to avoid the same mistake as Kate gifted Prince Harry a 'grow your own girlfriend kit' before his romance with Meghan began.
Meg also impressed the late Queen Elizabeth during her first Christmas with the royals as she gave her a singing hamster on a string - which the royal corgis thoroughly enjoyed.
However, it has been revealed that Princess Diana did not enjoy spending Christmas at Sandringham with the other royals.
In Channel 4’s ‘A Very Royal Christmas: Sandringham Secrets’ it was revealed how the festive season could become “too much” for those not accustomed to royal traditions.
Royal commentator Lady Colin Campbell told the Express: “Diana did not like Christmas with the Windsors.
“She was very keen to disappear into her room as much as she could."
This was also voiced by royal chef Darren McGrady who claimed Diana was more interested in talking to staff than the other dinner guests.
He told Yahoo: “Once the Queen and the royals had left the dining room, Princess Diana just liked to come in for a chat, just sort of walk around the kitchen and see what was going on.”
“Sandringham was so tight, so compact, there were so many people there, all the families.
"You just couldn’t get away. You came out of the dining room and you couldn’t go into the sitting room because there were three or four people in there playing charades or Scrabble or something.”
"She would go off for a walk on her own and often I would bump into her when she was out walking. So, I think that’s probably what she wasn’t keen on.”
Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, also added that she would confide in him that she would be “crawling the walls” by the end of a Sandringham Christmas and “couldn’t wait to escape”.
This year it will be the Firm's first Christmas without the late monarch, who died in September.
After celebrating 32 Christmases at the royal estate, the Queen's tradition will be continued this year by King Charles and the Queen Consort Camilla.
The King's decision to remain at Sandringham has been praised by many.
But celebrations will reportedly be much "less formal" than usual.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! there will be no bowing, curtsying or watching the King's likely pre-recorded TV address, making it a "less buttoned up" affair.
This comes as King Charles' Windsor Castle Christmas decs have been revealed and fans spotted a hidden tribute to the Queen.
Standing at a whopping 20ft, the real pine Christmas tree will be sparkling with gold, purple and red ornaments dotted around twinkling lights.
Charles' late mother was known to wear the shade of purple and it was often said to be her favourite colour.
Waterloo chamber has also been transformed into a Winter Wonderland with wreaths and baubles strung up throughout.
The Grand Staircase could also be mistaken for the entrance to Santa's Grotto, with festive decorations wrapped all the way up the banisters.
And other Christmas traditions will so continue.
At the Prince and Princess of Wales' home, the family will partake in their slightly unusual routine.
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Princes George and Louis along with Princess Charlotte will be unwrapping their gifts on Christmas Eve, exchanging the presents at teatime.
This is to pay homage to the Windsor's German heritage but also fits in nicely as the family have a busy schedule on Christmas Day.