A Royal Christmas: Inside the Queen’s Festive Celebrations

It's that time of year again when the British royal family gathers at the head of state's grand sprawling Norfolk estate to celebrate Christmas.

The Queen and Prince Philip usually arrive a week before Christmas, around December 21, to prepare for the celebrations.

Other guests start to arrive on Christmas Eve in order of precedence, with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall usually arriving last.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expected to arrive at the estate at 9 a.m., much like the other younger royals, with the senior members following later in the day.

According to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, there is lunch and tea, and the children decorate part of the Christmas tree under Prince Philip's supervision.

Presents are opened, a practice from Germany which never caught on nationally unlike decorating the tree and Christmas cards which date from the 1840s.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte will no doubt be excited to unwrap presents with their little cousins Mia Tindall and Savannah Edisla Phillips, aged five and four.

Meghan will probably catch up with her sister-in-law Kate, while Prince William and Harry head out to play football with the locals.

At 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve, the royals then have an opportunity to catch up with family by enjoying a black-tie dinner, where the women dress up in their gowns and jewels.

The festive gathering will also give Meghan an opportunity to meet Anne, the Princess Royal, Edward and Sophie the Earl and Countess of Wessex and Andrew the Duke of York and his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, who are all expected to attend.

This year there will be plenty of news to talk about, including Meghan and Harry's May wedding, Kate and William's third baby on the way and the Queen's granddaughter Zara and her husband Mike Tindall who recently announced they are expecting their second child.

On the morning of December 25, a full English breakfast is served before Prince Philip leads the 330-yard walk to the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on Christmas morning for the 16th century church's festive service.

Mr Fitzwilliams says the Queen is reported to take communion privately at 9 a.m. and at 11 a.m.

Photographers capture the royal family, which excludes the Queen who is usually driven to the service, which takes about 45 minutes.

Afterwards, it is back home for a Christmas turkey dinner with all the trimmings, where members of the family read from a menu in French.

Christmas lunch is reported to last just 50 minutes, a tradition that dates back many years, with the Queen's speech broadcast for 3 p.m.

It is expected the royal family gather by the television, but it is believed that any one-year-old monarch watches it in private, separately from the rest of her family, after tea and a Christmas Day walk.