King Charles and the rest of the royal family slip firmly into the festive spirit, their Christmas cheer lighting up royal residences across Europe.
At Kensington Palace, the holidays have officially arrived. The Prince and Princess of Wales’ London home this week received its grand Christmas tree, standing a towering 30 feet outside the palace gates.
The Norman Christmas tree, dressed in bows and coastal-inspired ornaments, perfectly complements the upcoming Victoria’s Seaside Christmas installation, opening inside the palace from 3 December to 4 January.
But the festive sparkle is not limited to London. Over in Monaco, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene kicked off the holiday in dazzling style.
On Thursday evening, the couple, together with their twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, switched on the town’s Christmas lights from the giant tree in La Condamine’s market square.
The ceremony, attended by Monaco’s mayor, municipal council and top officials, unveiled glittering decorations across the principality and marked the start of the year’s celebrations.
The Danish royals are also in their holiday mode. King Frederik and Queen Mary will spend the holidays at Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen together with Queen Margrethe II for a family Christmas straight out of a Scandinavian fairy tale.
Frederik delivers his annual New Year’s speech from Amalienborg at 6 p.m.
