Spending the holidays with a family as famous as the British royal family is sure to make anyone nervous. Kate Middleton shared her relatable worry about impressing her in-law, Queen Elizabeth, at her first Christmas at Sandringham. Luckily for Middleton, she killed it with her personal Christmas gift to the queen.
Middleton’s Unique Gift To The Queen
In the 2016 ITV documentary, Our Queen at Ninety, Kate said, “I can remember being at Sandringham, for the first time, at Christmas. And I was worried about what to give the Queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking, ‘Gosh, what should I give her?'”
Middleton then ditched the idea of buying a gift altogether and put her cooking skills to the test. She continued, “I thought, ‘I’ll make her something.’ Which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny’s recipe for chutney.”
“I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table. I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me and I’ve noticed since she’s done that on lots of occasions and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness, really, and her care in looking after, everybody.”
Bringing something homemade to the Queen as a gift could have been seen as a risky move, a royal expert told OK! Magazine that Middleton really hit the nail on its head with the gift during her first Christmas at Sandringham. “A homemade chutney gift was absolutely spot on – down to earth, practical and frugal – everything Her Majesty loves,” said royal expert Duncan Larcombe.
“It also showed that Kate could relate to the Queen as a normal grandmother and not just the head of state. And it helped forge a bond built on mutual respect and admiration.”
Gag Gifts Are Also A Favorite For The Family
Humorous gag gifts are also a popular choice for the royal family. Middleton reportedly gave her brother-in-law, Prince Harry, a ‘Grow Your Own Girlfriend’ kit before he started dating Meghan Markle.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry is said to have gifted his grandmother a shower cap emblazoned with the phrase ‘Ain’t life a [expletive],’ while Prince William reportedly once treated the Queen to a pair of slippers with her face on them.
Middleton and Prince William Set To Return to Sandringham
Middleton and William are set to spend their Christmas break at Sandringham, however, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be there this year. Although the couple has been with the Royal Family at Christmas for the last two years in a row, this time around they are spending baby Archie’s first Christmas with his grandmother Doria Ragland in the United States.