The royal family “regift” some of their Christmas presents.
King Charles and his relatives typically exchange “simple” gifts on Christmas Eve ahead of their festivities on 25 December and former royal butler Paul Burrell has suggested “practical and useful” items are best, but unwanted trinkets won’t go to waste.
Asked about their gifts by Spin Genie, Paul said: “What do you buy for someone who has everything? You buy them something practical and useful. Something that won’t be put into a cupboard and won’t be regifted. Even the royals regift and have gift cupboards of their own. You have to make very sure when regifting you know where the gift has come from. The way to avoid it is to think about the person and think about what they need in the year.”
And Paul believes the king in particular is “easy” to find an appropriate gift for.
He said: “Charles is very easy to buy for, you could buy him some gardening gloves, bulbs or seeds for his garden, things he would appreciate and use, simple things.
“Something inexpensive, it’s only a thought, that’s all it’s meant to be. Their presents in the drawing room on Christmas Eve will be jokey or simple. The more simple the better.”
The king himself has always enjoyed giving plants to people.
Paul said: “I always remember Charles, before he was King, would buy a plant for people. Usually a tall, flowering Jasmine plant for the ladies. You’d walk into the drawing room and there would be plants everywhere.”
The family tuck into a traditional turkey dinner and pull crackers, which feature items personally chosen by the king.
Paul said: “They have Christmas crackers on the table, again, months in preparation. The King will have chosen what’s inside the crackers, as they’re custom made. Whether that be silver whistles, key rings, pretty good quality contents, with a paper hat and a joke.
“They all pull crackers and wear paper crowns. I never saw the late Queen wear a paper crown, I don’t think Charles or Camilla will be, but everyone else is encouraged to.
“They will have something similar to our Christmas lunch, but it will just be much grander.”
Paul was speaking on behalf of https://www.spingenie.com/
