WEIGH TO GO
I’m King Charles’ ex-butler – why Kate Middleton, William & Queen Camilla were weighed after their Christmas lunch
The late Queen started the funny Christmas tradition
THE royal family have a host of unusual festive traditions including being weighed after they have eaten their Christmas dinner.
Former Royal Butler Grant Harrold revealed how the late Queen would get the scales out before and after the meal to see how much food had been consumed.
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Speaking to Fabulous, he said: “Do you know, apparently it is true.
“I asked one of the royal chefs, he's now retired, and the chef in question said to me that the Queen would weigh everybody at the start and at the end.
“I've never seen the scales, but obviously there must be truth to it.
“The idea of getting weighed before and after the meal, I think it was a bit of fun for the Queen, who had the most to eat over Christmas.”
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It is not known if King Charles has continued this tradition among the royals.
Traditionally, Christmas for the Royal Family is held at Sandringham House.
On Christmas Eve, there is a black-tie evening where presents are exchanged.
Then on Christmas Day, there are one or two visits to church in the morning, followed by lunch and the monarch’s speech.
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Darren McGrady, the former chef to Queen Elizabeth II, and Princes William and Harry, revealed exactly how the elite family dines at Christmas.
The main lunch includes a "salad with shrimp or lobster, and a roasted turkey, and all of your traditional side dishes like parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts and Christmas pudding with brandy butter for dessert.”
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In the evening they will enjoy a lavish buffet lunch, with 16-20 different items spread out for them to choose from and chefs on hand to carve the meat.
King Charles, 76, has kept to these traditions largely - although Queen Camilla, 77, has also started inviting her family to stay too.
Princess Kate, 42, and Prince William, 42, will attend the main Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate.
It’s thought that disgraced Prince Andrew, 64 and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, 65, will be in attendance this year at Sandringham.
Despite his current Royal Lodge row with King Charles, the ‘defiant’ Duke of York is believed to have received an invite for the festivities.
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SARAH Hewson, royal editor at Talk TV, said the Royal Family typically gather on Christmas Eve to kickstart the celebrations.
She added: “The little royals - George, Charlotte and Louis and Camilla's grandchildren - will help finish decorating the tree.
"Then, the royal family and all their guests will place their gifts on a trestle table in the red drawing room and they will open them at tea time, a German tradition introduced by Prince Albert.
"And contrary to what we might expect when you think about a royal Christmas, there are no diamonds under the tree.
"They actually give joke gifts - Kate once, when he was single, gave Harry a Grow Your Own girlfriend kit, and apparently Meghan's present to the Queen on her first Christmas at Sandringham with a singing hamster.
Once Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six, have broken up from school in mid-December, it’s thought that the family will decamp to Norfolk.
Anmer Hall is their sanctuary, and after Kate’s cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy and continued road to recovery, this festive period is likely to be more special than most.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are also expected to celebrate over the Christmas period with Kate's parents.
This year has not only been a tricky time for the Waleses, but also for Carole, 69, and Michael Middleton, 75.
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The idea of getting weighed before and after the meal, I think it was a bit of fun for the Queen, who had the most to eat over Christmas
Grant Harrold
The Middletons reportedly stepped up to support their daughter through her cancer treatment at her home in Windsor.
The Middleton celebrations could include Kate’s sister Pippa, her husband James Matthews and children Arthur, six, Grace, three and Rose, two, along with her brother James Middleton, his wife Alizée and son Inigo, one.
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