One of the most curious rituals? A game known as “Lucky Dip.” Family members would pull hidden slips of paper from a tub filled with sawdust — each slip predicting what the coming year might bring.
In recent years, King Charles has subtly modernized the tradition. In 2023, he and Queen Camilla welcomed the New Year by attending a church service at St Mary Magdalene on New Year’s Eve — a small change that still honored Queen Elizabeth’s love of faith and routine.
New Year’s Day itself looks strikingly familiar. Former royal butler Grant Harrold revealed that the menu barely changes from Christmas Day: roast turkey, vegetables, mince pies — and even Christmas pudding again.
Snacking? Not really. The Queen preferred fruit in her room, with one exception — her beloved Bendicks chocolates, always within reach.
Not everyone stays, though. Prince William and Princess Catherine sometimes skip the Sandringham celebrations to spend New Year’s with her family in Berkshire. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, of course, have missed recent New Years altogether since relocating to the US.