We may only see arrival photos through car windows - nonetheless Her Majesty's annual pre-Christmas luncheon at Buckingham Palace is one of my favourite staples on the royal calendar. It heralds Christmas, which just days away, and remains a constant and enduring tradition within the family.
Fresh from yesterday's Christmas party with charity partners the Mix and Heads Together, the Cambridges and Prince Harry looked relaxed as they arrived. No doubt there's been an abundance of last minute preparations before the family travel to Bucklebury where they will enjoy the festivities with the Middletons. Below, we see William driving with Harry in the front seat; Kate sat in the back with George and Charlotte.
Fresh from yesterday's Christmas party with charity partners the Mix and Heads Together, the Cambridges and Prince Harry looked relaxed as they arrived. No doubt there's been an abundance of last minute preparations before the family travel to Bucklebury where they will enjoy the festivities with the Middletons. Below, we see William driving with Harry in the front seat; Kate sat in the back with George and Charlotte.
A look at Prince George.
And in Mark Stewart's photo we see a glimpse of Princess Charlotte.
The Duke of Cambridge drives his family and brother to the Queen's Christmas lunch for her extended family. pic.twitter.com/mONMcBBiUB— Mark Stewart (@RegalEyes) December 20, 2016
Today marks the seventh consecutive year Kate has attended the luncheon, which last for roughly two hours. Kate wore a purple dress/coat with what appears to be a black scarf.
Kate, William and Harry lead arrivals at Buckingham Palace for Queen's Christmas lunch https://t.co/5g8Mx9MeRq pic.twitter.com/Mi40GMbfts— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) December 20, 2016
The Queen hosts the fifty-strong luncheon every year for the entire extended family, many of whom are spending Christmas with their own children and grandchildren rather than joining the annual gathering at Sandringham. Her Majesty and Prince Philip are expected to make the journey to the Norfolk estate within the next couple of days, where they will settle in before welcoming their children, grandchildren and other relatives on Christmas Eve. The Queen is said to take attendance very seriously and loves nothing more than a full
Lady Sarah Chatto was all smiles upon arrival.
Princess Beatrice.
Prince and Princess Michael of Kent with their daughter Gabriella.
Lady Helen Taylor and her family.
And Viscount and Viscountess Linley. It's nice to see photos of extended members of the family whom we rarely see.
Buckingham Palace is also a majestic sight; Her Majesty's love of Christmas means it's no surprise to see beautiful festive décor on display.
A look at the finishing touches...
And a simply ideal addition to the Christmas tree :)
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We also have news of a significant announcement made by the Palace today. The Queen has given twenty-five of her patronages to other royals to ease the workload in her 91st year. Her Majesty still remains patron of over 600 organisations, but the move is in recognition of the fact she cannot continue at the incredible pace she has throughout her reign. The decision follows the example set by Prince Philip who resigned from a number of patronages when he turned 90. This has been in the planning for some time and it comes as no surprise to hear the Duchess of Cambridge will take over as patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, better known as Wimbledon. The choice is a splendid fit for Kate, who is an avid tennis fan and loves to spend a day or two at the tournament every summer. It's safe to say this tradition will continue as the Duchess will be there not only as a lover of the game but as patron.
More from the Telegraph's story:
'The Queen has been Patron of Wimbledon since 1952, the first year of her reign, though she is not a tennis fan and has only taken her place in the royal box a handful of times. Paying tribute to her years of service, Philip Brook, chairman of the AELTC said: "We would like to thank Her Majesty for her long and unwavering service to the Club and the Championships during her time as our Patron. We remain immensely proud of her role in the history of the Club and the Championships.
"We would like to welcome HRH the Duchess of Cambridge, who will take up the Queen’s former duties as our Patron, and also recognise with appreciation the ongoing contribution of HRH the Duke of Kent, who will continue his long-standing role as our President."
The Duke of Kent is expected to continue presenting the singles trophies at Wimbledon, but the Duchess may be invited to present some of the trophies for doubles.'
As of publishing, it is not known how many others will be passed on to Kate. I would imagine at least one or two more. Here's a full list of the patronages. Action for Children and Save the Children UK are two contenders, given Kate's interest in supporting children.
Holocaust Day Memorial Trust
Royal Institution of Great Britain
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
Battersea Dogs Home
Barnardo's
Royal School of Needlework
Royal African Society
Welsh Rugby Union
Amateur Swimming Association
Action for Children
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) Wimbledon
Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)
Blind Veterans UK
Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football League
Edinburgh International Festival
Sport and Recreation Alliance
British Cycling Federation
NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children)
Royal Navy and Royal Marines Children's Fund
British Science Association
Institution of Civil Engineers
Animal Health Trust
Royal Geographical Society
Save the Children UK
UPDATE: Tying in nicely with Kate's Wimbledon patronage, she will also become patron of the Lawn Tennis Association in 2017. The Lawn Tennis Association's (LTA) mission is to get more people playing tennis more often, and part of its role is to govern tennis in Great Britain, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man by acting as guardians to promote and safeguard the integrity of the sport. More from the LTA:
'The Lawn Tennis Association has paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II following the announcement that Her Majesty will be relinquishing her patronage of The Lawn Tennis Association. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge will become patron in 2017.
Speaking about the announcement, Cathie Sabin, President of The LTA, said: "On behalf of all the British Tennis family, I would like to thank Her Majesty for her many years of patronage and dedicated support of tennis in Great Britain. "We were honoured to welcome Her Majesty to open the National Tennis Centre in 2007 and we are enormously proud of her association with our sport. We are excited to welcome HRH the Duchess of Cambridge as our Patron from 2017, and wish to thank HRH the Duchess of Gloucester for her continued and steadfast support as she remains in her role as Honorary President."
It has also been officially announced the Duchess will replace Her Majesty as patron of Action for Children. Founded in 1869 by Methodist minister, Reverend Thomas Bowman Stephenson (the charity recently celebrated their 145th birthday), Action for Children is a national charity that supports and speaks out for the most vulnerable and neglected children and young people. It works with more than 300,000 children, young people, parents and carers each year at 650 services based in the heart of communities across the UK. In February 2015, Kate visited the organisation's Cape Hill children's centre. You can view our post covering that engagement here. An excellent choice in a very important area.
Prince William is taking over the Welsh Rugby Union and Prince Harry has been confirmed as patron of the Rugby Football Union. We'll update if any more announcements are made concerning Kate.
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Finally, I've received a large number of queries from readers asking if we'll definitely see photos of the royals attending church with the Middletons on Christmas morning. When William and Kate spent the day in Bucklebury in 2012, a couple of photographers covered it, although the Palace leaned quite heavily on the media not to publish if I remember correctly. Certainly, I do expect we'll see at least a few photos, although it's not guaranteed. Below we see William and Kate leaving St Mark's with the Middleton family in 2012.
With the knowledge many of our readers are travelling and likely will be too busy to check in on the day, I'd like to wish you all a very, very Happy Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful time.
