Prince George, Charlotte and Louis will have to pass this test if they’re ever going to eat Christmas dinner with King Charles and Queen Camilla

It's claimed Prince George, Charlotte and Louis will have to pass this test before getting to eat with the King and Queen at big gatherings

Prince George, Charlotte and Louis will have to pass this test. Seen here are all three during Trooping the Colour on June 17, 2023
(Image credit: Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage via Getty)

Prince George, Charlotte and Louis will reportedly have to pass a test before being allowed to eat Christmas dinner with King Charles and Queen Camilla.

When it comes to the festive season the Royal Family have plenty of special traditions they stick to, ranging from celebrating at Sandringham to exchanging presents on Christmas Eve. The Prince and Princess of Wales and their kids regularly spend the festive period in Norfolk. However, despite being King Charles’s grandchildren it seems Prince George, Charlotte and Louis are still not guaranteed to eat their Christmas dinner with His Majesty and Queen Camilla this year.

Former royal chef Darren McGrady has claimed that traditionally the children eat separately at occasions like this. The Wales kids must reportedly have mastered certain important behavioural skills before eating with the adults.

Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales, after the Christmas Day service 2022

(Image credit: Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

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As per The Mirror, he previously alleged that the children “aren’t allowed to sit with the adults until they have learned the art of polite conversation”. Not only that, he went on to claim that the royal kids not only ate separately from the adults, but did so in a different room. 

He declared, "The children always ate in the nursery until they were old enough to conduct themselves properly at the dining table.”

Eating separately at big family occasions is supposedly the norm and it’s not known whether any of the late Queen Elizabeth’s great-grandchildren have been allowed to eat with the King, Queen and the other adults yet. Prince George is now 10 and as he’s second in the royal line of succession he’s started to be introduced gently to public appearances. 

Benoit Payan, Mayor of Marseille greets Prince George and William, Prince of Wales and Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) prior to the Rugby World Cup France 2023 Quarter Final match

(Image credit: Photo by Adam Pretty - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

At these occasions Prince George has shown impeccable behaviour and “polite conversation” skills so it’s possible he might be approaching an age where he could pass the behavioural test. However his younger siblings, especially Prince Louis who’s known for his cheeky antics and expressions at royal events, are perhaps still a little too young. 

They might also prefer to eat together with the other royal children for the social element too. Seeing Prince George, Charlotte and Louis all together with his cousins’ children is one of the highlights of the festive season for Prince William.

Prince Louis, Mia Tindall, Princess Charlotte, Savannah Phillips and Prince George attend the Platinum Pageant on The Mall on June 5, 2022

(Image credit: Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

He revealed this in 2021 during an appearance on Radio Marsden when he declared, “When I see my children meet up with my cousins’ children, they will have a wonderful time playing together. It’s very special. So I look forward to that a lot.”

If former royal chef Darren’s suggestion is still the case and royal children need to master “polite conversation” and behave “properly” before they can eat with the adults then at some point the oldest royal kids would make the move to the dining room. However, until then there’s probably a lot of fun to be had at gatherings together even if they don’t get to eat with King Charles, Queen Camilla and their own parents at Christmas. 

Emma Shacklock

Emma is a Royal Editor with eight years experience working in publishing. Her specialist areas include the British Royal Family, ranging from protocol to outfits. Alongside putting her royal knowledge to good use, Emma knows all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV and more. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, Emma enjoys cooking, long walks and watching yet more crime dramas!