The Royal Family are not known for doing things by half, so it might come as a surprise to hear that Queen Camilla plans to spend a lot of the Christmas season relaxing around in a pair of jeans.
That’s right. Jeans. And if they've been given the royal seal of approval, why not check out our team's pick of the comfiest jeans to relax around in this Christmas and New Year?
This somewhat surprising revelation comes as a source close to the royals told In Touch that King Charles and Queen Camilla are hoping to do away with some of the more rigid traditions inherited from the late Queen Elizabeth, while still honouring her memory.
Never one to do away with tradition completely, there are some things that’ll remain the same – starting with location.
The family – which this year will include Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson – will gather at Sandringham. It’s where the late Queen would always host her loved ones over Christmas, and included many bizarre traditions like weighing guests before and after eating, plus serving a decidedly old-fashioned dinner.
This year, however, he’s ready to start a few of his own traditions.
The source said, "Charles will always honour his mother on the holiday, but now that he’s head of the family, he’s keen to make some changes."
They continued, "That means expanding the guest list and relaxing the more formal rituals. He’s trying to modernise the monarchy, and it starts at home. Christmas at Sandringham will be different this year."
Relaxing the formality will likely start from the top down, with guests made to feel like they can wear more everyday clothes, taking their cue from Queen Camilla.
In previous years, guests were expected to make as many as five outfit changes a day - including different looks for breakfast, various indoor and outdoor activities, tea time and black-tie evening wear, but with Charles, "there will be less pressure about what to wear."
The source notes that Queen Camilla, in fact, "loves to lounge around in jeans."
This more relatable, grounded approach is something for which the Queen is known.
At her own residence, Ray Mill House - which she's had since the 1990s - Joan Gair, an interior design expert at Housetastic told the Express that Camilla has always gone for "comfort over neatness."
As noted by the source, the relaxed dress code isn't the only change the King is thought to be introducing this year.
He's also expanded the guestlist to include Queen Camilla's side of the family. "For years, they were forced to spend half of the day apart because Camilla wanted to be with her children and grandchildren, who weren’t members of the royal family,” says the source.
Her daughter, Laura Lopes, and Laura’s husband, Harry, have three kids, while Camilla’s son, Tom Parker Bowles, is a divorced dad of two.
Of the change, Kate Middleton and Prince William "are very supportive of the decision because it seemed silly to exclude Tom and Laura all these years. It will also be much less stressful for Camilla to not have to split her time between them."
