Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career Money
    • Health Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes amp; Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • NYFW
    • Life In Plastic
    • Cari Champion
    • New Books
    • Postpartum Psychosis
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    How Kate Middleton Uses Simple Holiday Decorations to Give Her Kids Normalcy at Christmas

    “The kids and their Christmas are the same as every other kid in the land."

    By Kayleigh Roberts
    Published 14 December 2024 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Kate Middleton, Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte at the Christmas Carol service in 2023.
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Today in "royals are really just like us" revelations: Prince William and Kate Middleton's kids have surprisingly normal Christmas celebrations, apparently.

    Obviously, life isn't just naturally normal for, well, anyone in the Royal Family, but the Princess of Wales actively works to ensure her kids get to be typical kids around the holidays, according to former royal butler Grant Harrold. One of her go-to ways of incorporating normalcy into palace life? Kitschy and cute Christmas decor, like "Santa Stop Here" signs.

    "I absolutely wouldn't rule it out the way William and Kate are," Harrold said of decor like the aforementioned Santa signage during a recent interview with The Sun. “They're fun. They've got a good sense of humor. They're very much family orientated. You could almost guarantee there'll be things like ‘Santa, stop here.'"

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    Mass-market holiday decorations aren't the only normal part of Christmas for Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, Harrold insisted.

    “They'll be putting the stockings by the fireplace, the mince pies, the milk for the reindeer," he added. “You could absolutely guarantee they'll do the exact same thing that we all do. The kids and their Christmas are the same as every other kid in the land. Well, most kids in the land.”

    You may like
    • Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis at their first day of school at Lambrook Prince William and Princess Kate’s “Hands-On” Birthday Party Plans Revealed By Fellow School Parents
    • Prince William Princess Kate Royal Source Reveals Prince William and Princess Kate’s Unprecedented Choice for Prince George Is "Strategic"
    • Prince William sitting in the stands at the Commonwealth Games talking to Prince Louis and Prince George Prince William Follows in One Unexpected Royal’s Parenting Footsteps

    At last year's "Together At Christmas" carol service at Westminster Abbey, the Wales kids gave the world a little photographic evidence of their Christmas normalcy when they were snapped mailing their letters to Santa at the event.

    Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince George mail their letters to Santa at the 2023 quot;Together At Christmasquot; Carol Service at Westminster Abbey.

    Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Prince George mailing their letters to Santa at the 2023 "Together At Christmas" Carol Service at Westminster Abbey.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    As The Sun noted, the older royals also have some incredibly down-to-earth holiday traditions of their own, like watching Will's relatable favorite Christmas movie, Elf.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    "It’s very funny and I keep watching it every Christmas, it still makes me laugh," he said while speaking to young patients at Royal Marsden Hospital.

    Explore More
    Prince George Princess Charlotte Prince Louis
    Kayleigh Roberts
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

    Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

    Read more
    Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince George, Prince William, and Princess Kate in Scotland on August 1, 2026
    Royals How Kate and William Have "Chosen Schools" for Their Kids
    By Amy Mackelden
    Pippa Middleton wearing a white dress and sunglasses at Wimbledon
    Royals Pippa Middleton Could Be Offered One Future Role With Princess Kate
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince George, Prince William, and Princess Kate in Scotland on August 1, 2026
    Royals Princess Kate and Prince William Aren't "Lazy"
    By Amy Mackelden
    Pippa Middleton and Princess Kate attending a wedding in 2011
    Royals Why Princess Kate Is Skipping Pippa Middleton's Party
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Grace Kelly wearing a white dress
    Royals Grace Kelly "Understood Quiet Luxury" Before the Term Was Invented
    Princess Lilibet, Prince Archie and Prince Harry walking through grass at Althorp
    Royals Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet Are Changing Schools After Just 2 Days
     
     
    Princess Anne wearing a coat and paisley scarf
    Royals Princess Anne Gets a "Round of A-Paws" from Sheep Dogs in Timeless Paisley Look
    Meghan Markle wearing a blue striped shirt
    Royals Meghan Markle Transforms Her Wardrobe from California to Cotswolds
     
     
    Latest in News
    Ayo Edebiri 2026 Emmys red carpet
    Celebrity Style Ayo Edebiri Sticks to Her Winning Red Carpet Formula at the Emmys
    a white woman in a gold dress with dark brown hair
    Nails Selena Gomez's 2026 Emmys Manicure Is All About a "Frosted Sunset" Finish
     
     
    US actress Zendaya presents the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award to US actress Jean Smart onstage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theatre at LA Live in Los Angeles on September 14, 2026.
    Culture We're Tracking Every Can't-Miss Moment From the 2026 Emmys
    Grace Gummer and Louisa Jacobson red carpet looks at the 2026 Emmy Awards
    Celebrity Style Meryl Streep's Daughters Make Their Mom Proud on the 2026 Emmys Red Carpet
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.