Christmas morning is likely very similar for the Royal Family as it is for many of us up and down the UK. After the younger members of the family have woken up early to see if Santa Claus has been, they will then attend the annual morning service at St Mary Magdalene church.
While the church service happens behind closed doors, the Prince of Wales previously revealed some of the best kept secrets from over the years during his appearance on the Apple Fitness + podcast Time to Walk. Prince William touched on stories about his children fighting over the morning's song choice and his own anxieties about returning to school. But one story that really tickled royal fans was his references to the fun Christmases that he spent with his family at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
During the 38-minute podcast, the Prince of Wales walks around the Sandringham estate and passes the St Mary Magdalene church, which is beloved by his family for many sentimental reasons. While he was standing in this location, he began to speak about the annual Christmas morning service which saw the late Queen gather with her nearest and dearest before returning to the main house for lunch.
He explained: "What's very good about it is that we sit opposite each other as a family, and growing up, having my cousins sat opposite me has always been quite difficult to keep a straight face at times.
"I have had the giggles many, many times in the service. Luckily, no one's filming it. So you can get away with it, and on Christmas Day, it's fun to have a giggle and enjoy yourself." He then went on to talk about his happy memories of walking from the main house to the church on Christmas morning.
He recalled: "I have strong memories of walking down here, and my grandfather, he used to walk so fast that there'd be huge gaps and spaces between all of us walking down, and there'd be us at the back with little legs trying to keep up. You know, I think, over time, you start to feel quite attached to those moments and those memories before."
Elsewhere in the programme, Prince William spoke about the heart-warming memories he has of singing with his mother in the car. He revealed his worries about returning to school but remembered the one song that would always lift his spirits.
He said: "When I was younger, Harry and I, we were at boarding school. And my mother used to play all sorts of songs to kind of while away the anxiety of going back to school.
“And one of the songs I massively remember and has stuck with me all this time, and I still, to this day, still quite enjoy secretly, is Tina Turner's 'The Best' because sitting in the backseat, singing away, it felt like a real family moment."
He added: "And my mother, she'd be driving along, singing at the top of her voice. And we'd even get the policeman in the car, he'd be occasionally singing along, as well.
"You'd be singing and listening to the music right the way out into the gates of school, when they dropped you off. And, and that's when reality kind of sunk in that you really were going back to school because before that, you're lost in songs.
"You'll want to play it again just to keep that family moment going. And when I listen to it now, it takes me back to those car rides and brings back lots of memories of my mother."
