Last December, the palace released a few new images of Queen Elizabeth and her three heirs, Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince George, including their first formal portrait since George was a toddler, taken before the family Christmas party. That same day, they also posed for something more candid as they mixed 99 Christmas puddings for the Royal British Legion’s Together at Christmas campaign to show appreciation to service members and veterans. Following tradition, those puddings were left to age for one year, and according to the organization, they have now found their way to families in Britain, Spain, and Fiji, and to service members stationed in Bahrain.
On Tuesday morning, one of the recipients, Ethel, who was a nurse during World War II, spoke to BBC Breakfast about her pudding and her long association with the legion. “It’s wonderful, isn’t it?” she said when asked how she felt about having something made by the royal family. “Especially because last weekend was my 100th birthday.”
The 2019 photos, which show George meticulously mixing his dough while Charles, William, and the queen look over his shoulder, were taken in the Music Room in Buckingham Palace. The royals dropped a commemorative sixpence coin into the batter of the four puddings they mixed together, and in a series of virtual gatherings, the recipients carved into their gift to see if they had been given one of the lucky ones.
The Together at Christmas campaign was planned last year, to honor the organization’s 99th year, but the gatherings were originally supposed to take place in person around the country. Now, the organization thinks the virtual gatherings are even more necessary than ever. “Christmas can be a time when people’s financial worries or feelings of loneliness, isolation or anxiety are heightened, this year more than ever as people continue to adapt to life during the Covid-19 pandemic,” director-general Charles Byrne told Hello. “We want all those within our community who may be feeling the pressures of the season to know that there is extra support available and the Legion is here for them.”
After last year’s event, the Royal British Legion shared their recipe for the puddings, which feature sultanas, raisins, currants, prunes, and the addition of poppy seeds as a symbol for the flower of Remembrance Day.
This year, the queen will celebrate Christmas apart from her family at Windsor Castle. It will be the first time since 1988 that the family won’t congregate at Sandringham House in Norfolk for the holiday season. William, his wife Kate Middleton, and their three children George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are currently at Anmer Hall, their home on the Sandringham estate, but current coronavirus restrictions limit their ability to interact with other households.
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