What Do the Royals Do on Boxing Day?

For most families that celebrate, the day after Christmas (called Boxing Day in England) is a time to relax. Anyone who's at the Sandringham estate today—which likely includes Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, and Prince William—has a few notable events in store.

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For most families that celebrate, the day after Christmas (called Boxing Day in England) is a time to relax. There might be some leisurely sports-watching and definitely some eating of leftovers straight from the Tupperware—a recovery day from the BIG day, if you will. The royals, meanwhile, do things a bit more formally, because of course they do. Still, the vibe is more low-key relative to yesterday's goings-on. Anyone who's at the Sandringham estate today—which likely includes Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, Prince William and several more royal family members—has a few notable events in store, according to HELLO. They probably do not include sweatpants and robes on the couch (just guessing here).

Following a breakfast of "kedgeree, bacon and eggs" (kedgeree is sort of a casserole made out of flaked fish and eggs, yum?), there will be a variety of outdoor activities, including walking and riding. The princes often take part in a Boxing Day pheasant shoot—there was a rumor that Meghan "wouldn't let" Prince Harry participate this year, but that seems to have been a load of hogwash. Paraphrasing.

When it comes to what a royal Christmas Day itself might look like, we don't have to wonder. Usually it's a turkey lunch after the Christmas service at St. Mary Magdalene and then a buffet dinner. The kids open their presents from the family on Christmas Eve and their presents from Santa on Christmas Day, and apparently they got up very early, as Kate told one bystander after yesterday's service.

"But it was lovely to see their faces," she made sure to add—good save, Kate.

Last November Prince George asked for a police car and told Santa he'd been nice this year. Some of the energy he displayed for their Christmas card photo was probably on full display yesterday morning, so, if we were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge we'd be celebrating Boxing Day with a warm alcoholic beverage.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.