The British royal family can be notoriously difficult when it comes to exchanging Christmas gifts. With their penchant for gag gifts, or outright hating overly lavish Christmas gifts altogether, finding the perfect thing had been a dilemma for a few members of the royal family, with Kate Middleton being no exception.
Middleton first Christmas with the royal family at Sandringham took place just eight months after she and William tied the knot in in 2011. The pressure was on for the newly minted Princess of Wales, and as such, she struggled on what to get a very special in-law.
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Reflecting on her first Christmas in a 2016 ITV documentary Our Queen at Ninety, Middleton recalled (via People), “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. I was thinking, ‘Gosh, what should I give her?’”
The princess ultimately opted for something personal to give—her grandmother’s chutney recipe. “I thought, ‘I’ll make her something.’ Which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny’s recipe of chutney,” she explained. “I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table,” which made her feel confident that Elizabeth ended up liking the gift.
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“I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me, and I’ve noticed since she’s done that on lots of occasions.” Middleton mused. I think it just shows her thoughtfulness, really, and her care in looking after everybody.”
