The Queen's grandson-in-law reveals what Christmas Day is really like with the royal family

Spending Christmas Day with the royal family down sounds like a lavish affair, but according to Mike Tyndall it's fairly subdued.

Talking to Hello Magazine Tindall, who is married the Queen's eldest granddaughter Zara, the family follows a German tradition of opening gifts on the night of December 24th.

He added: "Christmas Day is a little more quiet because it's actually a cold buffet because they give everyone the day off, and their big day is Christmas Eve."

Tindall also revealed that the family all sit together to watch the Queen's speech "with a little glass of something." In 2018, the Downton Abbey Christmas special was was watched by many of the family members according to the ex-England rugby star, but he wasn't among them. "I don't watch it, but there's a lot of people who do," he said.

However, no need to fret about the young members of the royal family, they still receive and open presents from Santa on Christmas Day morning.