When Princess Kate graced the Royal Family’s Sandringham Christmas festivities for the first time, she encountered a significant challenge: selecting the perfect gift for the late Queen Elizabeth.
Royals reportedly favor lighthearted or modest presents over opulent ones during the holidays. The Duchess even confessed to feeling “worried” about her choice, unsure of the appropriate route for her grandmother-in-law’s gift.
Opting for simplicity and personal touch akin to what she’d give her own family members proved successful, as her heartfelt choice resonated well. In a documentary celebrating the monarch’s 90th birthday, the now-Princess divulged her initial quandary from eight years prior.
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“I can remember being at Sandringham, for the first time, at Christmas. And I was worried what to give the Queen as her Christmas present,” recalled Kate on the ITV feature.
She pondered on a befitting gift, deciding to put her crafting skills to the test a gamble that could have disastrously backfired. Thankfully, her homemade present, reminiscent of one she’d make for her own grandparents, charmed Queen Elizabeth.
Kate Middleton once decided “to make my granny’s recipe of chutney,” for the Queen, but she was nervous about how it would be received by the royals, who are accustomed to the finest cuisine. To her relief, the late Queen appreciated the gesture, which Kate saw as a significant step in their relationship, revealing the Queen’s “thoughtful” nature, reports the Mirror.
“I was slightly worried about it but I noticed the next day that it was on the table and I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me, and I’ve noticed since that she’s done that on lots of occasions, and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness really and her care in looking after everybody,” Kate shared.
The bond between the late Queen and Princess Kate was explored in the Channel 5 documentary, ‘Kate and the Queen: A Special Relationship,’ where Royal commentators, including Ingrid Seward from Majesty magazine, discussed their connection.
Seward believes that their shared commitment to duty played a key role in their close relationship: “I think the Queen saw her strength and saw that she is a caring person who had this amazing affiliation to duty.”
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