Early every December, the royal vaults are relieved of some of their finest tiaras, as the Windsor ladies deck themselves in diamonds for the annual diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace. Around 1,500 people attend from 150 different countries, plus former prime minsters and religious leaders.
A far less formal occasion takes place at Buckingham Palace around the middle of December, when the queen hosts a big family lunch for her extended family.
The queen's annual Christmas message is recorded at Buckingham Palace, to be shown on Christmas Day at 3 p.m.
Her majesty usually heads to Sandringham in the third week of December to finalize the plans for Christmas, while other members of the family arrive on Christmas Eve.
The family attend church twice on Christmas Day — the first is a low-key private family service where the queen takes communion, and the second is a public service with glamorous Winter coats and hats. On Boxing Day, there is the annual shoot organized by Prince Philip and lunch on the grounds before the family start saying their goodbyes.
