Charles' anger at Queen rejecting his Christmas wish in favour of Prince Edward
Christmas at Sandringham has been a staple part of the royal calendar for decades thanks to a tradition kept up by the late-Queen.
King Charles continued it last year in what marked the first festive season since the former monarch's passing, and this year it looks set to happen again - this time with the addition of Queen Camilla's grandchildren.
Camilla's children from her first marriage to Andrew Parker-Bowles joined last year at the Norfolk estate, with Fergie also welcomed back into the fold 30 years since her divorce from Prince Andrew. And with the exception of Harry and Meghan, the enlarged party may be welcome given the family dynamic has changed drastically in recent years following the loss of the Queen and Prince Phillip.
But past Christmases have seen a sprinkling of festive disharmony. In one instance, Charles was left "furious" when Sandringham was full and the Queen's rules meant he couldn't use his "favourite suite".
Richard Kay, a Royal commentator and close friend of the late Princess Diana, revealed that Christmas 1999 brought a new face to the Royal Family, who took precedence in terms of accommodation. Mr Kay wrote in the Daily Mail in 2015: "A dollop of seasonal ill-will had descended on Sandringham when Charles was told he would have to yield up his favourite suite of rooms to his newly married younger brother, Edward."
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The Queen pictured with Edward (top right) and Charles, alongside Andrew and Anne, in 2007 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)With Charles at this point divorced and not yet re-married, it was decided the then-Earl and Countess of Wessex were in greater need of the suite. Prince Edward tied the knot with Sophie Rhys-Jones (now Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh) in June 1999, making him the last of the Queen and Prince Phillip's children to wed.
The newlyweds were given the suite and "Charles, who has a deep need for his creature comforts, was furious," said Mr Kay, "but the Queen's rules at the Christmas gathering, where space can be tight, have to be obeyed". As a Royal lady, Sophie had "an automatic right to a dressing room" and despite his status as heir to the throne, a then-single Prince of Wales was forced to give way.
As reported by the Express, Mr Kay added: "There is a practical reason behind this. Royal ladies have to bring a range of outfits, often changing several times a day. They also have to wear something different each evening, while the men wear black tie."
Camilla, who is now Queen Consort, wasn't invited to spend Christmas at Sandringham until after her wedding to Charles in 2005. A retired courtier described it as "one of the most relaxed Christmases" staff could recall" adding, "on top of that, Charles was especially happy because he'd got his favourite suite back".
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