Prince George made Christmas puddings with Prince William, Queen Elizabeth, and Prince Charles in December 2019, which have now been distributed to families of the royal armed forces this year.
According to reports, four lucky families received the special batches of pudding, which were mixed and prepared by four generations of the Windsor monarchy one year ago. Traditionally, English Christmas pudding could last two years after it is prepared.
The special pudding also included four exclusive commemorative sixpences from the royal family. Members of the Royal British Legion (RBL) learned of the lucky recipients during a virtual gathering this week.
The Legion usually holds its Christmas get-together at care homes or special venues pre-pandemic. The celebration had to shift online this year due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
RBL director-general Charles Byrne said that the virtual party aimed to bring together Legion members and their families who may be feeling isolated and lonely during this Christmas. They also distributed 99 more puddings to members and servicemen scattered in the U.K., Spain, Fiji, and Bahrain.
But the four lucky recipients of the puddings from Prince George were not picked at random. One of them was Julian Groves, 59, who received the special gift as gratitude for volunteering his time as a telephone buddy for those in isolation.
Groves said that he was thrilled to discover the sixpence in his pudding package. He was even more thrilled to experience the camaraderie of the Legion members as everyone tried their best to adapt to changes brought on by the pandemic.
Vera Parnaby, 81, also got the pudding with sixpence as a recognition for her work with the RBL. Parnaby helped raise a million pounds as a volunteer for the organization.
Meanwhile, Prince George won't be able to celebrate Christmas Day with his great-grandmother, the Queen, and grandfather, Prince Charles, this year. The Cambridge family made a trip from London to their country home in Anmer Hall, Norfolk, before the U.K. imposed an emergency Tier 4 lockdown in the southeast as new variants of COVID-19 are apparently emerging in Europe.
This means that households in Berkshire, where Anmer Hall and Windsor Castle stand, are no longer allowed to mix, canceling out the original order that limits get-togethers to three households. Only one person is allowed to meet another member of the family from a different household at an outdoor and public place. An overnight stay at another household's residence is also prohibited, and no one can travel abroad unless it is for work.
In late November, a spokesperson at Buckingham Palace confirmed Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip would have a quiet Christmas in isolation. Her Majesty also told the rest of her family to spend their Christmas Day observing the government's safety guidelines.
