Queen Elizabeth and Her Three Heirs Came Together to Prepare Christmas Pudding: Watch Them Stir!
Four generations of the royal family are getting cooking!
Queen Elizabeth was joined by her three heirs — son Prince Charles, grandson Prince William and great-grandson Prince George — at Buckingham Palace this week to support a new initiative by the Royal British Legion.
They came together to prepare four special Christmas puddings, which traditionally bring good luck. The desserts will be centerpieces at the Legion Christmas get-togethers in 2020, as part of their new Together at Christmas initiative to provide extra support to the Armed Forces community around the holidays.
Kensington Palace shared a video on Instagram Tuesday of Prince George, 6, working hard at stirring his pudding as Prince William, Prince Charles, and Queen Elizabeth assisted him with big smiles.
“The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and Prince George make Christmas puddings at Buckingham Palace as part of the Royal British Legion’s ‘Together at Christmas’ initiative,” the post read.
A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Dec 24, 2019 at 8:19am PST
Royal photographer Chris Jackson captured photos from the special gathering, which took place in front of a decked-out Christmas tree. The royals also posed for a group shot with five veterans.
Each of the royals placed commemorative sixpences into the mixture, ready to be found by those attending the gatherings next year. A new Royal British Legion recipe was created for the launch, with the royal family uniquely adding poppy seeds to the mixture in a nod to the charity’s symbol of remembrance.
The pudding making session likely took place ahead of Queen Elizabeth’s annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, which traditionally takes place before she leaves her London residence for Sandringham to spend the holiday.
Prince George and Prince William, 37, arrived separately from the rest of their family — with the little royal riding shotgun! — for the family gathering, perhaps to have time for the special moment with the 93-year-old monarch and Prince Charles, 71. (Prince George is also wearing the same Rachel Riley pique piped shirt seen in the car arrival photos!)
Prince George is taking after his mom with his baking skills. Kate Middleton revealed to Mary Berry for A Berry Royal Christmas that she makes birthday cakes for her kids from scratch.
“I love making the cake,” she shared. “It’s become a bit of a tradition that I stay up ’til midnight with ridiculous amounts of cake mix and icing and I make far too much. But I love it.”
A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Dec 21, 2019 at 2:07pm PST
A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Dec 16, 2019 at 2:01am PST
The Royal British Legion’s Director General, Charles Byrne, said: “Bringing people, families and communities together lies at the heart of the Legion’s work and has done since we were founded in 1921. As we head towards our centenary in 2021, we are proud to start a new tradition for our community with the support of our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen, and three generations of her family.
“The Legion is not only here for older veterans, but all ages of the Armed Forces community. As the Monarch and next three generations, Her Majesty and Their Royal Highnesses represent a cross-section of those supported by the Legion, from the children of service personnel, to Second World War veterans,” Byrne continued. “Christmas can be a time when people’s troubles and worries are exacerbated by the financial pressures of the season or feelings of loneliness and isolation. The extra support the Legion can give, and the camaraderie of our get-togethers can make a big difference to our community’s well-being. Making and eating Christmas puddings has traditionally been a shared family activity, and we look forward to sharing these special puddings made with the help of The Royal Family.”
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It’s been years since the public has seen an official portrait of Queen Elizabeth and her three heirs.
The first came at Prince George’s christening, when the monarch smiled proudly while surrounded by her successors. Another was released in April 2016 to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday — and Prince George stole the show with his cheeky smile and holding hands with dad Prince William.