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There are few Christmas movies that warm the heart quite like Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life, but for those who worked on the 1946 classic, it was quite a different story.

Far from being the heartwarming festive treat enjoyed by generations of film lovers, the reality of shooting on the seemingly idyllic Bedford Falls set was tense, brutal and, at times, even bloody.

A gorgeous tale of finding meaning amid the trials and disappointments of life, the one and only James ‘Jimmy’ Stewart plays George Bailey, a once ambitious everyman whose youthful dreams have been repeatedly crushed by weighty responsibilities.

Driving to despair, George contemplates suicide one fateful Christmas Eve but is fortuitously interrupted by ‘second class’ guardian angel Clarence Odbody, who helps him realise that ‘no man is a failure who has friends’.

If you make it through to the finale with your eyes still dry, then you’re made of sterner stuff than most. However, knowing the full story behind the life-affirming movie may change your viewing experience completely…

The movie was deemed groundbreaking in terms of creating realistic snow effects ( 
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CBS via Getty Images)

Chemical snow

One of the most iconic shots of the movie shows a joyous George rushing through the streets of Bedford Falls on Christmas Eve while flurries of snow swirl all around him. It’s a beautiful scene for many reasons, with the heavy snowfall bringing to mind the most idyllic of white Christmases. Those without in-depth knowledge of the industry would never guess they weren’t watching a natural blizzard.

Indeed, It’s A Wonderful Life proved groundbreaking in the field of snow effects, with the various weather shifts being integral to the plot. Jeremy Arnold, author of Christmas in the Movies, told Entertainment Weekly: “The snow is vital to the storytelling. It conveys not just a joyful Christmas Eve but also the character’s rebirth. It tells the audience George is back in the real world. He’s back from this alternate reality; the snow starts falling, and we get it right away. And that is a very gentle, cleansing snow.”

Before It’s A Wonderful Life was filmed, filmmakers would paint cornflakes white to create snow, but director Frank Capra knew he wanted something a bit more special. Keen to avoid the ‘crunch’, Capra opted for three different types of fake snow: Ivory soap flakes, chipped ice, and fomite, which are similar to chemicals used in contemporary fire extinguishers.

During this period, it was common for filmmakers to use hazardous chrysotile asbestos to create fake snowfall, which, if breathed in, could lead to lung cancer and other health problems. Although this dangerous substance was indeed used on the set of It’s A Wonderful Life, it at least wasn’t rained down on any of the actors, as was the case with The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Holiday Inn (1942).

Vicious feuds

The message behind It’s A Wonderful Life is all about human connection and the importance of loved ones over financial success, with the story culminating in an outpouring of affection and friendship. For decades, viewers have been particularly moved by the romance between George and Mary Hatch Bailey (Donna Reed), who meet as children and later marry.

Behind the scenes, however, things were decidedly less than harmonious, and leading man Stewart was later said to have blamed Reed for the film’s initial lack of success at the box office. Speaking with Closer Weekly in 2020, Reed’s daughter Mary Ann Owen claimed that her mother was made to feel like a scapegoat on set, on account of Stewart’s insecurities.

Owen said: “There was a lot of insecurity on set because Jimmy Stewart wasn’t sure if he wanted to act anymore. He thought it was too frivolous, but Lionel Barrymore and others talked him into it. So, there was this insecurity on the set and mum was really not that well known. I mean, she was only 25 and I think signed her MGM contract at 21.”

Stewart reportedly vowed never to work with Reed again, but by the time she died in 1986, aged 64, the former flop had become a widely adored seasonal favourite. Praising Reed after her death, Stewart said: “I’ll always remember her as a wonderful woman and as my wife in It’s a Wonderful Life. I don’t know of anybody who could have played the role better. She was absolutely marvellous.”

Stewart and Reed had marvelous onscreen chemistry, but it was a different story behind the scenes ( 
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Getty Images)

Stewart allegedly vowed never to work with Reed again ( 
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Getty Images)

Violence that left actor bleeding

In one memorable scene, the young George (Bob Anderson) has a run-in with his first employer, the pharmacist Mr Gower (HB Warner). Distraught after learning of his son’s death, Gower almost accidentally poisons a child in a drunken mishap. George notices something is wrong and alerts Gower to his error, only to be met with a smack around the ear.

Little did viewers know at the time that Anderson’s ear was actually bloodied, with seasoned method actor Warner having been drinking alone during rehearsals to get into character. Speaking with the Los Angeles Times in 1996, Anderson recalled: “He actually bloodied my ear. We rehearsed, and as the day progressed, the louder and more demanding HB got. We’d rest for a little while; I’d go back to school. They’d bring me back out, and we’d spar a little more.”

Once the cameras started rolling at the end of the day, it took just three minutes to get the take. Anderson continued: “That was Capra’s way of getting it to the Academy Award point. My ear was beat up and my face was red, and I was in tears. I knew when I went through the door of that drugstore to go behind those pillboxes. I was gonna get knocked on my butt, and it was an emotional high. […] I was a baby. I didn’t know what we were building for. HB was perfect. He reached the crescendo. In the end, when it was all over, he was very lovable. He grabbed me and hugged me, and he meant it.”

King Charles III has made a rare TV appearance ahead of the Christmas period.

The monarch appeared on a BBC Christmas special of Countryfile which was filmed at his Highgrove home. and showcased the work of The King’s Foundation’s education programmes. The show’s hosts, Matt Baker, Margherita Taylor and Adam Henson, were introduced to staff at the King’s charity, while his royal residence was transformed into a festive wonderland.

Presenter Matt spoke to Highgrove’s head gardener Grainne Ring while also helping to harvest Charles’s Brussels sprouts. He later went on to speak to head chef Luke Windebank who said Charles is “quite protective” of the sprouts in his garden. Speaking of the monarch’s love for them, the chef said: “His majesty does enjoy his sprouts, he’s quite protective of them in the garden.”

The special festive episode also featured presenter Adam meeting Henry-James Gay, who manages the King’s Duchy Home Farm. The manager told how Charles walks around the farm on a regular basis and spoke about his “second to none” attention to detail.

The Countryfile festive edition also spoke to staff at the King’s charity ( 
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Constantine Innemee, the Highgrove director of The King’s Foundation, also told the show that everything within the gardens has come from an idea of Charles’. He explained: “What drew him to the house is it is a place that he could really make his own. Essentially, he had a blank canvas. And everything that you see when you’re walking through the gardens is something that he created. It came out of his mind. It was his vision. And I think that sort of template, a blank slate, to be able to start, was something that was quite appealing.”

The added the King’s personality can be seen “everywhere” in the garden, saying: “I mean, every plant, every tree, every hedge. He’s a painter as well. He’s an accomplished artist and I think you see that in the way the gardens are laid out. There’s always something drawing your eye, there’s a composition.”

Head of horticulture at The King’s Foundation, Melissa Simpson, also discussed the King’s role, insisting he still gets “100%” involved with the gardens. She added: “He’s constantly thinking about the landscape, the garden, the environment, and every element of it, to be honest.”

The King’s Foundation offers education courses for almost 15,000 students annually, and health and wellbeing programmes for nearly 2,000 people each year. It also spearheads placemaking and regeneration projects in the UK and overseas to revitalise communities and historic buildings.

It acts as the custodian of Highgrove Gardens, home to education programmes in traditional and heritage crafts, including the Snowdon School of Furniture and the Metiers d’Art Fellowship in partnership with Chanel and le19M. The King attended the royal residence for the annual Crafts At Christmas event, where he was filmed being presented with creations from the Snowdon School of Furniture students. He was given a box of baubles created by students on a post-graduate furniture course and marvelled at the square ornaments they had carved from alder, oak and cedar.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, will not be spending Christmas with His Majesty ( 
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Getty Images)
Jesting, Charles said he needed an “extra-strong tree” after feeling the weight of a bauble. Then, after he had finishing hanging a bauble on a Christmas tree outside the Orchard Room, Charles discussed the “battle” to maintain “timeless skills” to keep traditional crafts alive. He said: “It’s really trying to maintain the timeless skills, which are always needed really, whatever age we’re in. They are all rather disappearing, the battle is trying to keep all the special ones.”

The Countryfile episode follows Charles taking part in a 2023 special of The Repair Shop, where he showcased the work of the students – when the charity was called The Prince’s Foundation – as well as speaking about heritage crafts.

The episode comes as it was revealed Charles had uninvited brother Prince Andrew to Christmas with the royals after he had confirmed that he had “ceased all contact” with a businessman accused of being a Chinese spy. Speaking to OK! Magazine, former BBC Royal correspondent Jennie Bond described the recent headlines as “another embarrassing row” involving the royal, suggesting that King Charles would have “hated” having to uninvite him from the Sandringham gathering.

Jennie said: “The King is a kind soul and Andrew is his brother: he would have hated to be put in the position of having to un-invite him or ban him from what promises to be a big family get together. It seems quite likely that Andrew sat down with Fergie, and possibly his daughters, to discuss the best solution. Thankfully, wise heads have prevailed and he obviously realised that his presence at Sandringham would be an embarrassing distraction on a day which – this year of all years – should be all about the King and Catherine.”

Princess Anne has a reputation for her razor sharp wit and witty sense of humour. And she also enjoys a silly joke – as she once demonstrated at a Royal Family Christmas.

The royals have a number of festive traditions they stick to every year, which includes unusual rules about exchanging gifts. In keeping with their German heritage, the family will open their presents on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day, and will opt for ‘gag gifts’ over more expensive luxury items.

Speaking on Channel 4’s 2020 documentary ‘A Very Royal Christmas: Sandringham Secrets’, royal expert Katie Nicholl noted: “If you can achieve something that is tongue in cheek, and will have the Queen laughing, then you’ve really done well that Christmas. The more kitsch, the better.

Nothing ostentatious, or terribly expensive or lavish, that doesn’t really go down well with the Queen.” With that in mind, Princess Anne opted for a highly-unusual present for her older brother, King Charles, on one occasion – a leather toilet seat.

Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter explained why this gift was particularly apt on the show, saying: “What is it we used to call the loo? We would call it the throne. You go and sit on the throne.

“So buying a leather-bound loo seat was really Princess Anne’s way of saying, ‘Here you are, you’ve got your own personal throne!”

Ex-royal butler Paul Burrell, meanwhile, added: “It’s the public school upbringing — and why wouldn’t Prince Charles like a white, leather loo seat from his sister Anne?”

The gift might also have been a tongue-in-cheek reference to a rumour that has haunted Charles for years – that he takes his own toilet seat with him when travelling.

The then-Prince of Wales was asked if there was any truth to the claims during an interview on Australian radio in 2018, and he shocked listeners with his bold response. “My own what? Oh don’t believe all that c**p!” he replied.

The radio crew from Hit105 also took the opportunity to verify Charles’ answer with his wife Camilla, asking: “So he doesn’t carry his own toilet seat when he travels?” “Don’t you believe that!” she answered.

It’s thought that the rumour initially came from Tom Bower’s 2018 book Rebel Prince: The Power, Passion and Defiance of Prince Charles. In it, the author described a list of items he said Charles and Camilla have with them everywhere they go, claiming: “His staff had also made sure to pack a small radio, Charles’ own lavatory seat, rolls of Kleenex Premium Comfort lavatory paper, Laphroaig whiskey and bottled water for both bedrooms plus two landscapes of the Scottish Highlands.”

But the claims have largely been dismissed with Charles and Camilla both strongly denying it.

The late Queen upturned royal tradition to make Meghan Markle feel welcome in the family – before the Sussexes had even tied the knot. The royals’ Christmas celebrations were historically limited to members of the Firm or married partners. As such, neither Princess Kate nor Duchess Sophie spent Christmas Day at Sandringham with their in-laws until after they had tied the knot. But Meghan was invited to join in the festivities in 2017, some five months before her wedding.

It was an unprecedented move from the Queen. According to royal reporter Richard Eden: “Courtiers say the Queen believed that Meghan – a divorced, mixed-race American actress – would be a breath of fresh air and a great asset to the Monarchy. “The Queen fast-tracked her entry into the Royal Family, inviting Meghan to join her at a service to mark Commonwealth Day – her first official engagement with the Queen – two months before the wedding. It was another clear indication that Her Majesty valued Meghan and wanted her to be seen as a part of the family without delay.”

A short time after the 2017 Christmas gathering, Prince Harry told BBC Radio 4’s Today show: “The family loved having her there. There’s always that family part of Christmas [where] there’s always that work element there as well, and I think together we had an amazing time. We had great fun staying with my brother and sister-in-law and running round with the kids. Christmas was fantastic.”

Asked if there were any family traditions that had to be explained to his partner, Prince Harry divulged: “Oh plenty, I think we’ve got one of the biggest families that I know of, and every family is complex as well. No look, she’s done an absolutely amazing job. She’s getting in there and it’s the family I suppose that she’s never had.”

Meghan, meanwhile, opened up about her first Christmas with the royals in the couple’s Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, and revealed she had been seated next to Harry’s grandfather, Prince Philip,

“At dinner, I was sat next to H’s grandfather and I just thought it was so wonderful and I was like, ‘Oh we chatted and it was so great and I talked about this and talked about this’,” she said.

Meghan further described: “I remember so vividly the first Christmas at Sandringham, calling my mom, and she’s like ‘How’s it going?’ and I said ‘Oh my gosh it’s amazing’. It’s just like a big family like I always wanted. And there was just this constant movement and energy and fun.”

The Sussexes have not celebrated Christmas in the UK since 2018, when Meghan was pregnant with their first child Archie.

In 2019, they spent the festive period in Canada during an extended break from their royal duties – just weeks before announcing their decision to step back as senior royals. They now live in Montecito, California and are all but estranged from the royal family.

Robbie Williams has explained that he is shocked more young music stars haven’t died under tragic circumstances similar to Liam Payne.

The 50-year-old music icon has been in the spotlight since he was a teenager himself and has previously shared the grief he feels over the death of Liam – who died aged 31 after falling from a balcony in Argentina in October. Robbie has had a highly publicised life in the spotlight that has involved struggles with drink and drug addiction as well as mental health battles.

While Liam’s death was a shock to fans as well as across the music industry, Robbie has candidly explained that he fears that many other music stars could be suffering in silence. One Direction star Liam had been open about his own struggles with substances and mental health.

Take That star Robbie is currently promoting his new autobiographical film, titled Better Man, which chronicles his life without shying away from the ups and downs of his career and personal life. While interviews by the Associated Press while promoting the movie, Robbie was asked if he understood what Liam may have been going through before his death.

The Angels singer said: “Here’s the thing: I’m always astonished — may he rest in peace, bless him, beautiful boy — that the entertainment industry isn’t littered with those types of cases, that we can’t point to 30 of them.” He was then asked about his own relationship with fame.

He responded: “It’s different now. I (expletive) love it. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’m 50 and I’m incredibly grateful for fame. It facilitates everything that I need and want to do with my life. I was just too young to receive it, and I wasn’t surrounded by good people. And I wasn’t good people. But now I can’t speak highly enough of it.”

Robbie also explained that his own struggles might not have been obvious as he had the world at his feet while he was dealing with his demons. He remarked: “My story’s not unusual. There’s a boy band documentary that’s going to be on tele in Britain that I’ve taken part in, and everyone’s story is the same. They’ve got the bends. They experienced this thing that warped them and gave them mental breakdowns.”

He added: “I can’t apologise for the truth, and the truth is there’s something about this matrix-bending, washing-machine fame that’s deeply unhealthy. No matter what job you have or what path you choose in life, you spend the second 20 years of your life sorting out the first 20 years. It just so happens I did it in public and told people exactly what was going as it was going on. And still do.”

Last month, Robbie shared his hope that Liam’s tragic death could lead to changes in the music industry that would see artists recieve more support. Speaking to Newstalk, he said: “I’m sure things will be done in his name to make things better. What they are, I don’t know yet, but I’m in. It’s very difficult [and a] grey area to put things into place, to look after people properly. I know there are talks about what to do and how to facilitate this, but [that] comes with already having money in place.”

Williams, 50, continued: “That negates the young manager and the young band that are doing everything out the back of a Transit van – who don’t have the money in place to facilitate it. So there’s all of these grey areas. It needs addressing and there needs to be a think tank by creative people, like myself and others to get together and figure out what’s the best way to tackle this problem for our entertainment industry.”

Two people have died and up to 10 others including two children are said to be missing after a bridge collapse in Brazil.

Seven vehicles including two motorbikes, three lorries and a car were on the bridge connecting the cities of Estreito and Aguiarnopolis over the Tocantins River when it plunged into the water.

The rescue operation was suspended last night as Civil Defence chiefs confirmed a tanker truck carrying sulphuric acid was among the vehicles that ended up in the river.

An investigation was underway today into the collapse yesterday afternoon of the 1960s-built 1,750ft Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira Bridge.

A video shot moments before the collapse by a local councillor showed the moment it began to break up. Elias Junior filmed himself running to safety after honing in on cracks at the side of the road on the bridge structure before it ruptured in front of him as a pick-up 4×4 had to brake before continuing over the disintegrating tarmac.

The politician was recording the video with a friend to ask authorities to fix problems with the bridge which he said could no longer handle the heavy trucks passing over it. The pal could be overheard yelling: “Hey Elias, get out of there” as the first major cracks appeared on the road’s surface.

The politician said after cheating death in the scare: “If it hadn’t been for my friend of mine I maybe wouldn’t be here today. This bridge is over 60 years old and people were always complaining about how precarious it was. We went there to demand all the relevant authorities take action.”

Another local who regularly uses the bridge moaned after the disaster: “I’ve been passing by there every day for years and we all knew this was going to happen, but the governors weren’t concerned. The bridge was opened in 1961 and has never been renovated.”

Authorities in the north-eastern Brazilian state of Maranhao, one of the two the bridge connected, confirmed late last night a 25-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man traveling on separate motorbikes had died.

Military police in Tocantins said eight adults and two children aged three and 11 were still missing although other officials put the total number of people missing at eight.

A man rescued after the drama was taken to hospital with a broken leg. A military police spokesman, describing the number of vehicles that had been carrying sulphuric acid as two, said: “Searches following the bridge collapse were suspended after Fire Brigade divers identified two of the lorries that plunged into the river as vehicles that were transporting a dangerous load. Those two lorries were carrying sulphuric acid.”

Yesterday afternoon’s bridge tragedy came after 41 people died in a bus crash in southeastern Brazil on Saturday. The bus caught fire after colliding with a lorry and a car on the BR-116 road in Lajinha in Minas Gerais state. Initial reports pointed to a block of granite coming off the truck and hitting the bus.

The bus passengers killed included Josinaldo Pereira, his wife Bianca de Jesus Ferreira and their one-year-old daughter Valentina, who were heading to the city of Ipiau in the north-east Brazilian city of Bahia to spend Christmas with Bianca’s family.

Yesterday morning just after 9am, 10 members of the same family were killed after the airplane they were on crashed in the Brazilian mountain resort town of Gramado in the country’s southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul soon after take-off.

Sao Paulo businessman Luiz Claudio Salgueiro Galeazzi was piloting the private plane. He was travelling with family including his wife, three daughters and his sister.

A British woman claims a stroke left her with an Italian accent and the ability to speak the language, despite never having set foot in Italy. Althia Bryden, 58, was found unresponsive in bed by her husband, Winston, who described the moment as “terrifying” when he discovered his wife “staring and unable to talk”.

He immediately called for an ambulance. The grandmother-of-two spent nine days in hospital where doctors determined she had suffered a stroke caused by a carotid web – a shelf-like structure in the neck that can disrupt blood flow to the brain.

On 30 July 2024, Althia was readmitted to hospital for surgery to remove the carotid web. After three months of being unable to speak, she woke up with an Italian accent and the ability to utter words in the language.

Nurses and doctors flocked to her bedside in amazement as she began to speak ( 
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Due to the rarity of her condition, Althia expressed how isolating recovery can feel ( 
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It is believed Althia has foreign accent syndrome – a rare medical condition that makes a person’s speech sound like they have a foreign accent, even if they haven’t acquired it. Althia, from Highbury, North London, said: “I spent three months after my stroke thinking I’d never be able to talk again.

“I couldn’t talk, read or write – I felt like a shell of the person I once was. I was so alone and isolated and I remember feeling just totally lost. After my carotid web surgery, a nurse came to my hospital bed do a routine check, and completely out of the blue, I just started speaking. She looked as shocked as I did.”

Althia, who was born and raised in London, shared her strange experience after a stroke left her with foreign accent syndrome—a condition so rare that it left the medical staff in awe. She recounted her confusion, saying: “I remember thinking ‘who is that talking? ‘ Firstly, I couldn’t believe it was me talking, but I also didn’t recognise the sound of my voice.”

Nurses and doctors flocked to her bedside in amazement as she began to speak. Althia recalled: “The nurse rushed to get colleagues round to my bed, no one could believe I was talking after so long. But the more I spoke, the more confused we all became. They asked me if I had an Italian accent before my stroke and were telling me I had a strong accent – in the whirlwind of it all, I was so confused.”

In time, it became evident that her accent had changed: “As the days went on, it was clear that I did have a strong Italian accent, and I had no control over the sound I was making when talking.”

Althia, who was born and raised in London didn’t recognise her own voice after her stroke ( 
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Astonishingly, Althia found herself speaking Italian fluently: “To my amazement, I’m also able to speak Italian.” The most baffling part for her was that it was a language she’d never learned: “A language I’ve never learnt or spoke ever before.”

She described the unpredictable moments when Italian words would replace English ones: “Without realising, I will say an Italian word mid-conversation, which is the Italian word for what I’m trying to say in English. I have no idea I’m about to do it, my brain just converts the English word into Italian.”

Due to the rarity of her condition, Althia expressed how isolating recovery can feel: “Doctors and nurses see me as a bit of a medical marvel – none of the nurses, doctors, therapists or surgeons had dealt with foreign accent syndrome in their whole careers. This is when I realised just how rare this condition is.

She is trying her hardest to stay positive and upbeat ( 
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“I’m so grateful to be alive after my stroke, and I’m also very thankful to be able to communicate after living with no speech for three months. But living with foreign accent syndrome is really hard. I feel like a big part of me has gone, my personality, my identity, my roots. I wake up most mornings hoping that my old voice will be back again, I don’t feel like me with this foreign accent. I can even hear the accent in my head when I’m thinking.

“It’s a story I have to often explain to others too – when I meet people, they ask me where I’m from and I find myself retelling the story of how I’ve come to acquire this accent, over and over again. I try my hardest to stay positive and upbeat – I remind myself that I’m still here today and have my husband, two sons and their beautiful families with me – but I do feel a bit like a performer, like a clown in a circus. It’s such a very strange feeling.

“With the support from the Stroke Association, I’ve met many other stroke survivors locally. I attend a Stroke Association group, which brings us all together and it’s so helpful to share our lived experiences.

“But as much as every stroke is different, there is always something that two stroke survivors can bond on – I feel like a bit of an outcast. I’m yet to meet anyone who has foreign accent syndrome, and it’s hard to not have that kind of support when navigating through this.”

The Royal Family is set to host yet another year of Christmas traditions, with a number of staple on-season traditions to take place.

From a good royal kickabout to the time of gift-giving, it seems the traditions of the Royal Family are somewhat similar to that of members of the public. Specific timings for lunch, presents and mass are all present in plans for the festive season. Celebrations start much earlier than expected for the family, who are hosting a number of parties across the month of December. Charity days, attendances at causes members of the family support, and public appearances are just one of 12 traditions the royals must cater to through the Christmas season.

Aside from the public appearances and planned-out parties to celebrate their supported causes, members of the Royal Family invited to the in-house festivities are expected to follow the routines and well-established codes of Christmas. The week leading up to Christmas would see a luncheon, usually held at Buckingham Palace. Extended members of the family are invited to the event and there are a few photos showing the dining set-up inside. It is likely this year will see Prince William, King Charles and other members of the family attend.

Christmas cards are a keen tradition for the family, who send out their annual holiday cards every year. Signings were said to start in the summer months when Queen Elizabeth II was still head of state, though this may have changed following her death in September 2022. Annual holiday cards are still expected, as are warm greetings on social media accounts operated by or on behalf of the Royal Family. For their Christmas holiday proper, the family are believed to head to Sandringham Estate.

Games and extracurricular activities are attached to the usual day of celebrations. A royal kickabout is carried out with the likes of Prince William and at-the-time of his attendance, Prince Harry, heading out for a game of football, townandcountry reported. Whether the traditional game still continues is not currently known, though donations to local charities during the festive period are a staple for the Royal Family. A black-tie Christmas dinner is set in place for the family too, who share gifts with one another on Christmas Eve night.

Prince Harry revealed the gift-giving process the night before Christmas Day, writing in his autobiography, Spare: “We were at Sandringham in a big room with a long table covered with white cloth and white name cards. By custom, at the start of the night, each of us located our place, stood before our mound of presents. Then suddenly, everyone began opening at the same time. A free-for-all, with scores of family members talking at once and pulling at bows and tearing at wrapping paper.” There are also a collection of trees kept in the house. Three fir trees are brought to the Marble Hall in Buckingham Palace every year, though the family are not present at the palace on Christmas Day.

Instead, they head to Sandringham Estate, where a church service is carried out before lunch. It is only after lunch the family can relax from their festive duties and wind down a little. Although the staple annual broadcast, to be delivered by King Charles III, will still be sent out to televisions across the nation, a game of charades and other Christmas-themed fun is believed to follow.

A sullen Prince Andrew has been spotted on his own after ducking out of the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations.

The Duke of York, 64 was snapped heading out for a lone afternoon walk near Windsor Castle on Sunday as he prepares to spend the festive period away from the rest of the royals. His decision to stay home comes after he hit the headlines again over his connections with alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo, a man now banned from the UK.

The festive celebrations at the King’s private Norfolk estate this year are expected to be one of the biggest in many years, with 45 members of the royal family expected to join on Christmas Day.

Meanwhile, King Charles cut a happy figure today as he was pictured leaving an annual Christmas church service in Sandringham. He waved to well-wishers outside St Mary Magdalene Church wearing a brown tweet coat and holding an umbrella.

King Charles III waved to well wishers at St Mary Magdalene Church ( 
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Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, will also miss Christmas at Sandringham. The pair are said to be preparing to spend the day together at Royal Lodge, the home they still share in Windsor Great Park despite reported attempts by the King to evict them.

Before Andrew made the decision to avoid the celebrations, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie had reportedly spoken privately of their displeasure at plans for them to share a cottage with him on the Sandringham grounds. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were said to have been “less than pleased” when initially told the plans at being “cheek by jowl with the Yorks”, reported the Sun.

It comes after former Royal correspondent Jennie Bond described Andrew as a “pariah” within the Royal Family. Suggesting he had exhausted the patience shown towards him by his older brother King Charles after numerous scandals, she told OK!: “The King is a kind soul and Andrew is his brother. He would have hated to be put in the position of having to un-invite him or ban him from what promises to be a big family get together.

“It seems quite likely Andrew sat down with Fergie, and possibly his daughters, to discuss the best solution. Thankfully, wise heads have prevailed and he obviously realised his presence at Sandringham would be an embarrassing distraction on a day which – this year of all years – should be all about the King and Catherine.”

Jeremy Clarkson has opened up about his workplace struggles while working to earn a profit over Christmas.

The 64-year-old presenter has won praise for spotlighting the difficulties of farm work via his Amazon Prime reality show, Clarkson’s Farm. And more recently, he has been dabbling into the realms of pub landlord as a new career – having taken control of the Farmer’s Dog pub in Oxfordshire.

But pulling pints to make a living is harder than it looks, and now Jezzer has revealed that “Behind the scenes, then, everything is a total disaster.” The TV star opened his pub back in August and since then has sparked anger from locals over his festive menu options and for giving punters just one hour to get through their dinner before needing to take back the table.

Jeremy has discovered that the cost of running a pub is high and comes with a new set of challenges as he attempts to turn a profit. And he has also discovered that believed “it would all be fine,” before adding “I was wrong.”

Writing about his troubles in his column for The Times, the former Grand Tour host even described “horror” scenes in the pub toilets. He shared: “No amount of festival visits would prepare you for the horror of what had been produced at the Farmer’s Dog. It was everywhere and in such vast quantities that no ordinary plumbing or cleaning equipment would even scratch the surface. So a whole team of chemically trained hazmat engineers had to be employed. That’s a cost I’d never factored into any of my business plans.”

He went on to explain that visitors to his gastro pub have been making off with glassware – leaving him with further unexpected costs. He wrote: “That cost must be added to the £100 a day we spend on fuel for the generator, the £400 a week it costs to provide warmth on the terrace and the £27,000 a month we must spend on parking and traffic marshals to keep the council off our back.

He added: “It’s galling to see how much effort is required to make so little money on the farm. It’s worse at the pub. The customers are coming. There’s no problem there. But turning their visits into a profit is nigh-on impossible.” Ending his column on a positive note, Jeremy revealed that TV chef Marco Pierre White had been a visitor to the pub – and was left impressed by the range of options on the menu.

He added: “And it’s warm and there’s a fire and the staff are friendly and young and happy. It’s a proper, traditional pub. By which I mean you’ll love it, and I’ll lose a fortune and develop a skin disease from the stress of running it.”