The King has begun his first Christmas holiday at Sandringham as monarch after making a donation to a charity providing relief to people in fuel poverty. The royal standard is flying above the Norfolk estate where Charles and the Queen Consort will celebrate Christmas Day with members of their family, marking a return to traditional royal festivities.
The Fuel Bank Foundation said financial donations, sent to the King in condolence cards after the death of the late Queen, have been passed on to the charity along with an undisclosed donation from Charles via the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund. Matthew Cole, head of the foundation, said: “We are extremely grateful for the kind and generous donation from His Majesty the King. The money will be used to help keep vulnerable people warm this winter, offering some physical and mental respite from the challenges posed by the energy and cost-of-living crisis.”
The charity provides emergency help to people living without heat, light and power in their homes because they cannot afford to top up prepayment gas or electricity meters. It will be the first time the royal family has spent Christmas at Sandringham since 2019 and will be a poignant period after the death of the Queen in September.
