5 most controversial Christmas moments of the British Royal family

The UK royal family’s Christmases have seen some really interesting moments. From Prince Philip going on a solo trip in 1956 to the Queen’s first-ever televised Christmas speech in 1957, each year has its own special story. Some Christmases were full of family surprises, while others had unexpected journeys or thoughtful reflections. In this article we explore 5 most bizarre moments that make the royal Christmas celebrations so memorable. 1. Philip Takes a Christmas Journey (1956) For the late Queen, Christmas 1956 was an especially painful time. Prince Philip jumped at the chance to take the Royal Yacht Britannia on an extended four-month tour of the southern hemisphere after four years of playing second fiddle to his wife. This meant he missed Charles’s eighth birthday, his wedding anniversary (though he did send her some white roses and a picture of two iguanas looking to embrace), and the holiday season. As rumors of a royal feud grew, the couple’s reunion in Portugal was announced to the world press. Philip was described as being “terribly hurt and very angry” about the situation and was wearing a tie with a heart pattern on it. 2. Margaret’s Christmas Surprises (1959) When the royal family gathered at Sandringham for the final Christmas of the 1950s, the Queen was heavily pregnant with Prince Andrew. There were two things that worried her. She first declared that their descendants would bear the surname Mountbatten Windsor in order to honor Philip. The Queen Mother and Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, as well as other traditionalists, were offended by this. Second, and even more shocking to the establishment, her sister Princess Margaret had informed her that she intended to wed society photographer Antony Armstrong Jones. “Thank heavens you’ve come, Prime Minister,” exclaimed the Queen’s red-faced uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, as the PM arrived in Norfolk to see her. The Queen is not doing well. Prince Philip is in the library wishing to change the family name to Mountbatten, and there’s a man named Jones in the billiard room who says he wants to marry her sister. The princess was granted permission to wed, but she couldn’t make her engagement public until after Andrew was born on February 19. 3. The Annus Horribilis Christmas (1992) 1992 saw the devastating fire at Windsor Castle, as well as the dissolution of the marriages of Andrew and Fergie and Charles and Diana. The entire nation eagerly anticipated the Queen’s remarks during her broadcast. They didn’t have to wait long because The Sun published the entire transcript on its middle pages after obtaining a leaked copy of the pre-recorded speech. The Queen gave her lawyers, Farrer & Co., instructions to file a lawsuit threat against the newspaper. In the end, an out-of-court settlement of £200,000 was given to one of her charities. The year was referred to as the Queen’s “annus horribilis”. 4. William and Kate’s Non-Royal Christmas (2016) William and Kate defied royal custom by celebrating the holidays at their Bucklebury residence with the Middleton family. They had missed two Sandringham Christmases before. The last one happened in 2012, right after Kate’s severe morning sickness sent her to the hospital. They were prioritising their small children, according to one theory. Toddlers and infants are not allowed to attend church at Sandringham Royal and must eat separately from adults. This year, George, who is three and a half years old, and Charlotte, who is twenty months old, participated actively in the luncheon party at the Middleton home and attended the Christmas Day service at the nearby church. 5. The Queen’s Final Christmas (2021) In her last Christmas at Windsor castle, 95-year-old queen was getting weaker by the day and missed her 73-year husband, Prince Philip, who had died in April of the previous year. During the Queen’s final and most moving Christmas broadcast, she spoke about “the death of my beloved Philip” and how ‘that mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him.’