Inside Royal Family’s lavish Christmas lunch – from touching tributes to surprising menu for picky kids

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From magnificent Tudor feasts to Edwardian dinner tables groaning with delicacies, banquets have always been part of royal life.

A guest of Queen Victoria’s at Christmas described a “mighty sight”: 50 turkeys being roasted in the kitchen, a huge slab of beef and a woodcock pie of 100 birds.Today’s menu is slimmed down, but the setting for Christmas lunch is just as majestic.

If numbers allow, the royals will eat in Sandringham’s green dining room. “It’s all done so beautifully,” says royal expert Ingrid Seward. “There’s a long mahogany table and the room is decorated with exotic arrangements of flowers and ferns, in Victorian style.The finest crystal is brought up from the glass pantry and the china from the china cellar – as far as Charles is concerned, what’s the point in having all this fancy stuff if it’s not used?” It’s straight on to the main course – roasted Norfolk turkey with all the trimmings from mashed and roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts and carrots to stuffing, roast parsnips and cranberry sauce, cooked to perfection.

Former royal head chef, Darren McGrady has fond memories of his time at Sandringham. “The senior chef on duty would carve the turkey in front of the family,” he explains.