Many children eagerly look forward to their Christmas Day celebration, but Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis actually celebrate the special day three times. Traditionally, the Royals flock to Sandringham for the main Christmas celebrations, with King Charles now at the helm of the plans as Monarch, and this year will be no different.

After the main royal celebrations are done, usually the Wales family will enjoy a fun and informal Christmas with Katherine’s parents, Carol and Michael Middleton. The Middletons have been a great support to the Princess over the past few months following her cancer diagnosis earlier this year. Their presence at Admirals highlights the strong family ties that have always defined her relationship with her daughter.

The Middleton family Christmas is likely to be a large gathering this year, also involving Pippa, her husband James Matthews, their three children Arthur, Graceon Rose, as well as the younger brother James, his wife Alizi Tavet, and their son Indigo, as reported. Prince William has always particularly enjoyed the Middleton family Christmas, as it reminds him of the fun his own mother, the late Princess Diana, injected into the festive season.

It’s usually expected they would then get together with the Middletons at a later point, either in Berkshire or at Admiral, where they can have all the fun and informality of the Middleton family Christmas. The royal expert said of Carol: “She once said that as much as you love all the immaculate decorations, you can’t be too serious at Christmas, and I do think they have a lot of fun with their grandchildren. They play a really important role in giving them the sense of normality and ordinary family life, and it’s the kind of Christmas his mother would have wanted to have given him.”

A shout-out should also go to Carol and Michael Middleton, who have undoubtedly been a vital part of the family this year, both practically and emotionally. I’m sure William and Katherine leaned on them very hard during their darkest days. As we know from Louis’ card on the tree at the Carol service, Granny and Grandpa are great playmates for their grandchildren, and they’ve put in more than a gift or two playing games with them.

James Middleton recently shared insights into past family Christmases and revealed how festive plans have evolved since he and his siblings have become parents. While he used to arrive at the airport as late as possible, since welcoming his son Indigo, James now prefers to get there five hours early. The 37-year-old author also reminisced about past family holidays with his parents and siblings, recalling how they would pack up the car and drive to various popular destinations.

These included different spots in the Swiss Alps, such as Ley Masses or Auras in France, as well as the Lake District, where the family stayed in cottages around Coniston Water and Windermere. His parents, Michael and Carol, would treat the kids to trips to the Swiss Alps in the summer. James recounted how his father would find a mountain refuge, and the family would end up having a rather sloppy, soup-like meal for tea, but they were so hungry from a day of hiking that it tasted amazing.

All five would then fall asleep on one long bunk, totally surrounded by other walkers, and get up early for another day of hiking. “I can’t wait for Indigo to form those sorts of memories,” he said of his son, who turned one in September.

Now that James, Pippa, and Katherine have families of their own, their holidays have inevitably changed. However, the youngest Middleton revealed that they always make sure they stay as a family so that the cousins get to spend time together, especially around Christmas.

Despite Catherine marrying into the royal family, the Princess has maintained a very close relationship with her own family—a bond that William also shares. For her annual Christmas Carol service concert, her brother has shown his support behind his sister as she returns to screens on ITV after an incredibly tough year in which she completed preventative chemotherapy treatment for cancer. By the year’s end, Catherine’s gradual return to public life brought relief and joy to royal followers. The family’s appearance at Sandringham on Christmas Day was a defining moment.