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Culture > Entertainment

Kate Middleton Plans Her First Royal Christmas

As a royal newlywed, you would think that the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton would want to spend her first Christmas with her husband Prince William, but it looks like it’s going to be a much bigger family affair.

The couple will join the rest of the British royal family at Sandringham House for Christmas, but in a break from royal protocol, Pippa Middleton has been invited to participate in the traditional Boxing Day pheasant shoot.

“Usually Sandringham is reserved for members of the royal family and their spouses only,” inside sources told the UK’s Daily Mail. “The day after Christmas allowing Pippa to join the family is very unusual. The Queen’s Norfolk estate is the most private club in the world. The only way you can get in is if you are royal or married to a member of the royal family. Otherwise you need a personal invite from the queen.”

Kate has usually spent her holidays with family at the Middletons and this will be her first at the Norfolk estate with the Queen. Prince William has always been fond of the Middletons and has already treated the Middletons to several shooting weekends at his father’s retreat near Balmoral.

“Kate will, of course, miss her family on Christmas day — she has traditionally spent it with them and wants Pippa to join her at Sandringham on Boxing Day because it will make being apart from her family at Christmas a little easier. Pippa’s very keen to go and she’s been on a couple of shooting weekends to make sure she won’t let the side down” at the queen’s traditional pheasant shoot.”

Could you imagine spend the holidays without your family, collegiettes?

Alexandra is a graduate from the University of New Hampshire and the current Assistant Digital Editor at Martha Stewart Living. As a journalism student, she worked as the Director of UNH’s Student Press Organization (SPO) and on staff for four student publications on her campus. In the summer of 2010, she studied abroad at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University, in England, where she drank afternoon tea and rode the Tube (but sadly no, she did not meet Prince Harry). Since beginning her career, her written work has appeared in USA Today College, Huffington Post, Northshore, and MarthaStewart.com, among others. When not in the office, she can be found perusing travel magazines to plan her next trip, walking her two dogs (both named Rocky), or practicing ballet. Chat with her on Twitter @allie_churchill.