Opening gifts on Christmas eve
Even though Elizabeth II is the queen of All Commonwealth Realms, she celebrates Christmas by following German traditions. Every year on Christmas eve, the family gathers at the Sandringham House to enjoy afternoon tea. This is also when they exchange and open gifts.
Once again, Prince Philip has the royal duty of determining when the gift-opening fest begins. It’s usually right after tea after 1 PM. The royal family does this to ensure that they get to bed early that night in preparation for church mass the following morning. It might ruin some of the Christmas cheer, but it’s been a tradition since the beginning of time.