celebrity

The bizarre royal tradition Meghan Markle and Doria Ragland will face on Christmas Day.

 

To catch up on all things royal family, make sure you check out our Royal Hub. We’ve got you completely covered.

Since officially joining the British royal family in May, it’s safe to say Meghan Markle has had to adjust to a whole lot of royal rules and traditions.

From strict dress codes to a ban on Monopoly, the Duchess of Sussex has had a lot to learn.

And now, with Christmas Day fast approaching, Meghan and her mother Doria Ragland will encounter even more bizarre royal family traditions.

According to royal expert and editor of Majesty magazine Ingrid Seward, each member of the royal family is weighed before and after digging into their Christmas Day dinner.

Um, awkward.

Speaking to Grazia, Seward explained that the tradition, which dates back to King Edward VII's reign in the early 1900s, applies to all members of the royal family.

When guests arrive at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk for the Christmas break, they are weighed on a pair of antique scales and then weighed after Christmas dinner to ensure they're being "well fed".

Besides the tradition of weighing, there will also be no presents opened by the family on Christmas Day.

Instead, the family open "cheap and humorous" gifts on Christmas Eve.

WATCH: Prince Harry and Meghan, from birth to now...

Earlier this month, royal experts were shocked when it was revealed the Queen would be breaking royal protocol by inviting Meghan's mum to spend the holidays at Sandringham estate.

"It's a mark of the Queen's respect for Meghan and an acknowledgement that she doesn't have any other relations in this country – unlike Kate who has the support of a very close family," a 'senior royal source' reportedly told Express.

The Queen also broke royal tradition last year by inviting Meghan to the family's Christmas celebrations, despite the fact that Meghan and Prince Harry were not yet married at the time.

Want more Mamamia stories? Sign up to our newsletters and get our best stories straight into your inbox.

Related Stories

Recommended

Top Comments

Rush 5 years ago

The royal expert’s name is Seward, not Steward. Glad no ones going to be weighing me before and after my Xmas lunch. And I guess the Queen can’t be that upset by Meghan’s shockingly white wedding dress if she’s invited Doria for lunch too.

Susie 5 years ago

When Sophie's mother died, her father was invited to Christmas lunch, so the precedent has been set for Doria. Perhaps someone whispered in the Queen's ear about inviting Doria, otherwise the UK Daily would feature Doria walking the streets of LA alone on Christmas Day, or having lunch at a soup kitchen.

Guest 5 years ago

Seems MM isn't aware of the fact that Doria isn't a member of the royal family, though, given that they seem to think she'll be weighed on Christmas Day.

Rush 5 years ago

I wonder if it’s like PE at school, when you had to get weighed and measured for your fitness test. Do they have to see how many sit ups they can do in a minute too? The sit and reach test? Do Wills and Harry compete to see who can eat the most? Do they hide bits of silverware in their pockets to cheat the scales? So many questions.