In the early Middle Ages, Christmas played second fiddle to Epiphany, a religious festival celebrating the three wise men who visited Jesus, and 25 December passed with little feasting. This changed during the 1000s, especially under the reign of William the Conqueror, who chose Christmas Day for his coronation date. From then on, Christmas in the royal court would be celebrated with a lavish, meat-heavy banquet that would shape royal foodie traditions for years to come. 

The most enduring of all medieval royal Christmas dishes was a decorated boar's head, still often seen at the banquet table of the modern royals. A striking sight, it would have been one of the dining table centrepieces. The boar's head was stuffed, most often with pork meat, ox tongue, apples and herbs, then garnished with holly and set on an ornate platter.

Peacock was the most elaborate dish of all. After the bird was roasted, its beak would be gilded and its feathers fanned and arranged on a decorative platter, as if it were still alive. A knight would be chosen to carve the meat, not before making a "peacock vow". The man would lay his hand on the plumage and pledge some noble deed. An early version of mince pies would also grace the medieval dining table: these were rectangular to represent Jesus' manger and were filled with meat and spices.

By the beginning of the Tudor era in the late 1400s, food was central to a royal Christmas. The most significant festive dish, enjoyed by the likes of Henry VII and Henry VIII (pictured), was a gargantuan Christmas pie. The thick pastry case, then called a coffin, would have been filled with a choice of meats held together like Russian nesting dolls: turkey was stuffed with goose, which was stuffed with chicken and pigeon and partridge, before being baked into the pie.

Henry VIII was purportedly also the first monarch to serve a turkey as part of the Christmas feast. The meat arrived in England in the 1500s, during Henry's rule, and was gaining in popularity. At this point though, peacock, swan and the ornamental boar's head still took centre stage on the festive dining table.

A wassail bowl, which had its roots in medieval England, was also a feature of Tudor Christmases. Honey and warming spices such as cloves and ginger would be added to mulled ale to make the wassail, which was sometimes nicknamed "lambswool" for its frothy appearance. The drink was served in a large bowl, often made from silver or pewter, and passed between the royals and their guests as they toasted their good health.

By the time Elizabeth I was on the throne, during the mid 1500s, sugar, which had arrived in Britain in the 1100s, was becoming increasingly popular among the upper realms of society. It was incredibly expensive and used as a symbol of status. Naturally, it became an important fixture of the royal Elizabethans' festive menu. 

Sweetmeats (pictured), prized as much for their pleasing aesthetics as their sugary taste, became a key part of royal banquets and festive celebrations. One of the most popular sweets was "leech". Made of milk, rosewater and, of course, sugar, it was moulded into a variety of imaginative shapes. The royal Elizabethans didn't stop there, though. Hunks of bacon were also cooked with almonds and sugar, and the sweet stuff was also used to flavour vegetables. 

Fast-forward to the Georgian era and preserved Christmas menus show King George II (pictured) had all but done away with the boar's head and the bounty of sweet treats. In its place was a more pared-back menu, though one that would still delight carnivores. Shortly after the death of Queen Caroline, records show that a widowed King George dined on squabs, chicken fricassee and cold turkey, followed with warm plum broth and mince pies. 

During the Victorian era, all the splendour returned to the royal Christmas dinner. Size mattered to Queen Victoria (1837–1901), and the festive menu was enormous and elaborate. A gigantic baron of beef, reared on the Queen's own estate, would take pride of place on the table. It was joined by the traditional boar's head, a mighty game pie and a huge plum pudding for dessert. 

During Queen Victoria's rule, a festive foodie favourite underwent a makeover. Until this point in history, the mince pies on royal dining tables were filled with real meat, often mutton or minced pork, plus suet and the usual fruit and spices. However, in the 1800s, versions without meat, padded out with extra fruit, became popular with the upper classes. Eventually this meat-free recipe would become the norm. 

Inspired by the fine dining etiquette of France, King Edward VII (1901–1910) eschewed the festive banquet in favour of dining "à la russe". Christmas dishes were served one after the other, rather than laid on all at once in a flamboyant display, as had been the previous tradition. Courses at the royal Edwardian dinner table would have included braised ox hearts, roasted quail, mussel jelly and blancmange.

The feast prepared for today's royal family is heavily influenced by monarchs through the ages. Historic dishes with modern twists are served over the Christmas period, and the luxury and exuberance of previous eras is retained. Though the royal Christmas is a private event, extensive interviews with former royal chef Darren McGrady in the Daily Mail, Good Housekeeping and Hello! have revealed hidden secrets about the family's festive dining habits.

These days Christmas lunch with Her Majesty the Queen is typically a big affair with the Prince of Wales, William and Kate (the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, all gathering at the 19th-century Sandringham Estate in Norfolk during recent years for a solid three days of festive eating. So formal and lavish is the dining from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day, that the royal children are required to dine in the nursery with their nannies, while the adults indulge in a series of meals prepared by hundreds of staff.

The full details of how the Queen and her family will spend Christmas 2020 remain under wraps, but a Buckingham Palace spokesperson has confirmed she and Prince Philip will be spending it "quietly". It's also known that the monarch will be celebrating the festive period at Windsor Castle, Berkshire and not at Sandringham for the first time since the 1980s. While Christmas might be a little different it's likely to be just as lavish, with six Christmas trees adorning the castle and rooms including the State Dining Room, pictured, dressed for the season. 

The Christmas Eve tea kicks off the royal festive dining extravaganza. It's served in the historic Sandringham Saloon (pictured), where the likes of Queen Victoria would also have dined. The tea consists of dainty sandwiches filled with ham, fine cheeses and coronation chicken, served with a steaming pot of earl grey. To sate the royals' sweet tooth, there's a gigantic ginger cake (traditional fruit cake is saved for the following day).

Christmas Eve also signals the arrival of the anticipated Christmas hamper from Harrods. The basket is filled with delectable delights from foie gras en croûte to a generous wedge of stilton. Chef McGrady has also revealed that, on occasion, Prince Charles would order an alternative hamper. Known for championing organic produce, the Prince would fill his with natural and locally grown goods.

On Christmas Day, the feasting begins as soon as the royals wake up. Male family members have a meat-heavy start to the day, with kippers, bacon, grilled kidneys and eggs. The women generally opt for something lighter. The Queen has her meal brought directly to her bedroom: it consists of half a grapefruit, buttered toast and coffee. 

Next, the royal family enjoy their first tipple of the day, in between breakfast and lunch. It's glasses of Veuve Clicquot‎ all round, save for the Queen, who prefers a gin and Dubonnet, and Prince Philip who enjoys an ice-cold beer. 

Strung out over several decadent courses, the Christmas lunch is the day's main event. The royals sit at a handsomely decorated dining table and are presented with their starter. The most common offering is a bed of salad topped with juicy shrimp or succulent lobster. Though the royals are careful not to overindulge, the wine flows too. The Queen, McGrady reports, is fond of Gewürztraminer, a German white wine. 

The main event is a sumptuous turkey dinner with a plenitude of fine trimmings. There are reportedly a trio of turkeys cooked for the royal adults, one for the children's room and some 100 birds prepared for the staff at the estate. The meat is paired with an array of herby stuffings, crisp roast potatoes, fluffy mash, and traditional vegetables like Brussels sprouts and carrots. Cranberry and bread sauce plus a generous glug of gravy brings the plate together.

Meghan Markle has spent two Christmases with the royal family, but according to recent reports she, Harry and baby Archie will not be joining the Queen this year. Although the Duchess of Sussex has enjoyed the indulgent Sandringham banquet, her own personal Christmas traditions have historically been rather different. In an interview with Grazia, the Duchess spoke of her love of dining with friends over Christmas and revealed her penchant for innovative side dishes with her Christmas meal. She shared her festive recipe for maple-glazed sweet potato wedges: hunks of potato are tossed in lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper and baked until fluffy and crisp. 

The royals love a sweet treat too. They plump for a traditional pudding, the preparation of which begins as early as September. McGrady reveals that the huge sinks at Buckingham Palace are sterilised and used as enormous mixing bowls to ensure there's enough pud for everyone. The puddings are rich with sultanas and spices, with an ample amount of brandy. On the day, the dessert is placed on a platter and bedecked with holly. A palace steward serves the pudding, soaking it in more brandy and setting it alight.

It's not only human royals that dine well at Christmastime – staff see that the four-legged family members are catered for too. The Queen is known for her fondness of corgis and the dogs have traditionally been served a meal of freshly cooked meat (usually rabbit or beef) with rice and vegetables. While Her Majesty lost one of her beloved corgis, Whisper, in October 2018 and most recently her dog Vulcan too, her one remaining dorgi (a dachshund and corgi cross breed) called Candy will no doubt be getting some extra special treats this Christmas. 

After the royals have listened to the Queen's speech at 3pm, their appetites are whet once more with a festive tea complete with delicate sandwiches and scones. The Christmas cake and chocolate yule log are served at this time too.

The Queen's favourite dessert is chocolate and McGrady reports that, at Christmas, an entire little table is covered with Her Majesty's preferred treats: Bendicks Bittermints. The monarch favours dark chocolate so there'll be fine artisan truffles by Charbonnel et Walker to suit her taste too.

While the Queen is a chocoholic, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, was more partial to a crêpe soufflé. The thin pancake would often be on the menu for dessert after Christmas lunch, spread with light, zingy apricot jam and dusted in sugar. In interviews, chef McGrady has reported that the princess would often slip into the kitchen to request a second helping of her favourite dessert once service had finished. 

Prince William apparently favours a chocolate biscuit cake over a yule log. Served during afternoon tea, the cake is heavy, packed full of syrup and rich tea biscuits and smothered with a thick layer of chocolate. It's chilled rather than baked. The prince loves the dessert so much that it was one of his wedding cakes when he married Kate Middleton in 2011. 

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The final feast on 25 December comes in the form of an elaborate evening buffet. The table is laden with succulent meats such as a decorated ham and often includes historic staples such as a stuffed boar's head and ox tongue. The foie gras en croute from the Harrods hamper also makes an appearance.

The head chef enters the dining room for the first time during Christmas Day when the evening banquet is served. First, he carves the meat, then he's presented with a cold glass of whisky and a toast from Her Majesty. The chef is thanked for his service over Christmas and the rest of the year, before he leaves the royals to devour the spread. 

While Meghan Markle no doubt swills Veuve Clicquot and whisky with the rest of the royals, she also shared her favourite festive cocktail with Grazia. The new duchess is partial to an almond milk spiced cocktail, which she would make for friends over the holiday period. Her festive recipe sees almond milk blended with dates and spices including cinnamon and nutmeg – the mixture is then shaken or heated through with bourbon and finished with a cinnamon stick. 

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If the meat is the star of the festive food show, then the cheese comes a close second. A fan of crackers sits alongside an array of cheeses, from Brie to Cheddar. The highlight is a mighty wheel of Stilton, which is pierced then doused in Port, making it gloriously soft and tangy. 

The eating continues on Boxing Day. Having slept off Christmas Day's feast, the male royals wake for a hearty breakfast ahead of the traditional Boxing Day hunt. According to a source at Sandringham, breakfast usually consists of bacon, eggs, cereals and toast, as well as kedgeree, a kind of rice dish with smoked haddock, hard-boiled eggs and curry spices. 

Check out this smoked haddock kedgeree recipe to wow your own Boxing Day guests

The royals dine together again at lunchtime, with tradition being that the women join the men post-shoot in a smaller property on the Sandringham estate. According to McGrady, the order of the day is comforting, warming food with dishes such as beef bourguignon likely to make an appearance. In 2018, a source told the Daily Mail, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle joined Princes Harry, William and others at Sandringham's Wood Farm to enjoy a lunch of cold cuts, sausages, salads and soups. There were also plenty of tea and tipples. 

Come evening, game is on the menu. A popular choice is venison paired with dauphinoise potatoes and plenty of veg. The royal family don't go without their sweets on Boxing Day either. Traditional desserts include fried slices of Christmas pud from the day before or something chocolatey. The Queen's Boxing Day favourite is chocolate marquise, a soft, rich French terrine best drizzled with cream and served with fresh fruit.

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