Prince Philips plays an important role during the Christmas celebration of the royal family at Sandringham. He is not playing Santa Claus to his grandchildren but this role is a vital duty as well as symbolic for the family.
It was revealed that the Duke of Edinburgh is the one who kicks off the celebration at the Queen's private residence. During this time of the year, the Duke of Edinburgh normally started the family gathering by hosting a reception on Christmas Eve and by serving drinks. He usually has pale ale while the Queen prefers martini.
But more importantly, Prince Philip is the one who decorates the Christmas tree and put the gold star on top of it. Royal expert Claudia Joseph revealed on the TV show, Sandringham: The Queen at Christmas, that the 98-year-old royal is committed to this particular role during the holidays and he won't let anybody do it.
Apparently, when his grandchildren come, they could put their own ornaments on the Christmas tree but not the gold star on top. Joseph said Prince Philip would probably continue to do this role for the rest of his life even if he feels less energetic.
The Duke of Edinburgh reportedly feels a little less energetic in the past months. In August, it was reported that Philip suffered a "bit of a wobble" after he left Balmoral and headed to Sandringham.
A source told The Sun (via Express) that since then the Queen's husband has been living quietly at Sandringham, where he spends most of his time reading and doing small tasks at home. The insider said the Duke, however, regained his strength recently and has been very active again. He has been fishing at Balmoral and driving around the royal estates but avoid public roads following his car crash in January.
Prince Philip retired from public duties in 2017 at age 96. He was last seen in public on May 18, at the private wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor at St. George's Chapel. For more than seven decades, he has provided immeasurable support to the monarch as well as to the other members of the royal family.
Meanwhile, the members of the royal family, except for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, are expected to celebrate Christmas with the Queen and Prince Philip in Sandringham. Her Majesty usually travels to Norfolk between December 18 and 20. This year, however, her holiday plans will depend on the results of the election this week.
