Prince William plans to ditch one awkward royal Christmas tradition as king

A royal shake-up may be coming to Sandringham, and Prince William reportedly has his sights set on one long-standing Christmas custom he’s never been a fan of.

According to a new report in the Daily Mail, the Prince of Wales is expected to scrap the royal family’s strict gift-order hierarchy once he takes the throne.

The tradition, considered charming by some and awkward by many, involves King Charles handing out “joke” £5 gifts from a trestle table, but strictly in order of seniority.

One insider told the outlet: "While William's mind is on much bigger changes than just the trestle table, it's well known to be one of those antiquated traditions that he's never really taken to."

They added: "You can expect that to be one of the first things to go when he eventually hosts his first Sandringham Christmas."

The gift-giving isn’t the only formality baked into royal Christmases. On Christmas Eve, dinner is black-tie and strictly scheduled, with seating arranged by rank.

Even on Christmas Day, where technically there isn't a seating plan, royals are expected to emerge from rooms assigned according to their status.

Even Zara Tindall, Princess Anne’s daughter, who does not hold an HRH title, is reportedly among those left at the back of the queue.

As the source explained: "William adores Zara, he would hate that the practice of leaving her to the back of a queue."

They continued: "It's just not William's way of doing things at home and he has apparently quipped in the past that he wouldn't continue any of that stuff, though he appreciates his father does it for the nostalgia and as a way to remember the Queen."

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