As the festive season unfolds, the Royal Family upholds its long-standing tradition of visiting Sandringham for Christmas. This annual pilgrimage to the Norfolk estate holds a special place in the royal calendar, drawing both public and media attention.

Catherine, the Princess of Wales, has since become adept at handling the spotlight during these royal gatherings. However, her initial visit to Sandringham with Prince William in 2011 was a different story, as she navigated the complexities of royal protocol as a newcomer to the family.

A moment of tension from that year has come to light, involving an interaction with Princess Eugenie. According to body language expert Judi James, the encounter left Catherine feeling “quietly wounded.”

Analyzing footage from the Christmas morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church, James pointed out that Princess Eugenie appeared to bypass Catherine, ignoring the newlywed’s attempt to initiate a conversation. This moment was interpreted as a snub towards the then-newest member of the royal family.

The video showed Eugenie ‘push past’ Kate after the newlywed appeared to glance in her direction, hoping to ‘engage’ her in conversation. 

‘Was this really a case of “Move over, blue blood coming through” as Eugenie pushed past Kate here? Perhaps Eugenie didn’t see Kate and maybe it had no bearing on her attitude towards the future queen,’ Ms James, who analysed the video, said. 

‘But a more forensic look at the body language here makes it hard to come down on the side of Eugenie, especially as Kate looks so quietly wounded by her action.’

Responding to the perceived slight, Kate – who picked an elegant plum coat with a matching hat for the occasion – turned away from Eugenie’s direction, as Ms James explained the cues that reflected poorly on the latter. 

Ms James said it was striking to note the absence of any ‘small gestures of friendly support’ from Eugenie towards Kate, considering it was her first time at Sandringham. 

While Kate ‘appears to look at Eugenie with the kind of expression that might convert into a smile’, the York princess responds with a ‘set’ facial expression. 

‘William was standing a way behind her, and Eugenie slid through the gap between them,’ she continued. 

‘It looks from Kate’s body language as though she’d been left in a small social hole where she had no one close to speak to while she had the world’s cameras trained on her.’ 

Ms James also pointed out that Eugenie would have been partly justified if William and Kate had been standing together, but this was not the case. 

She also questioned why Eugenie felt the ‘need to leapfrog over the royal pecking order to get away’ rather than waiting behind Kate, William and his brother Harry.  

‘These are public and photographic moments in the royal calendar. You don’t just push past because you think you left your heated rollers turned on at home or whatever,’ she quipped. 

While she acknowledged that Eugenie’s intention may not have been to ‘be any form of a mean girl’, Ms James said it was ‘understandable why some more negative assessments’ are being made about their interaction online. 

Eight months after her fairytale wedding to Prince William, Kate (pictured), then 29, joined the Royal Family for their annual festivities at Sandringham in December 2011

As a ‘lonely-looking’ Kate left the 11am service, Princess Eugenie (pictured), then 21, appears to ‘leapfrog over the royal pecking order’ and sends a clear message to Kate: ‘Move over, blue blood coming through’, body language expert Judi James claimed

An annual tradition in the royal calendar dating back to the 1870s, the royals attend the 11am service at St Mary Magdalene Church and then make the short walk back to Sandringham to feast on their Christmas dinner 

‘Ongoing fan theories suggest this was a reaction from a true royal to a non-royal who has “married in” to the family,’ Ms James concluded. 

According to royal author Katie Nicholl, the monarch gave Kate a manual that advises on the Order of Precedence in the Royal Household.

Described by Ms Nicholl as ‘a guide for new recruits’, the royal manual stated that when Kate was not with William, she would be ‘required to curtsy, or bob, to blood royals,’ including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

While it ‘might have felt slightly strange’ as the young woman ‘occasionally socialised together’, it was a necessary requirement in a bid to avoid overwhelming the Queen. 

As part of her Sandringham training, spearheaded by Sophie and now Queen Camilla, Kate was also briefed on the strict order of events at Sandringham.

A far cry from the relaxed nature of a Middleton family Christmas, the new princess was told to pack five outfit changes a day, including a full-length evening gown and jewels for the lavish Christmas Eve dinner. 

But while Kate may have been somewhat prepped for the upcoming Sandringham Christmas, she was, the royal author added, ‘particularly sad’ not to be with her beloved sister, Pippa, who was ‘heartbroken’ over a recent break-up. 

It was the princess’s sudden rise to fame as a ‘global superstar’, following her wedding to William, that was ‘rumoured to be at the root of the split,’ Ms Nicholl revealed in her book Kate: The Future Queen. 

Meanwhile, she also faced another rather challenging task: what does one buy members of the Royal Family for Christmas? 

Outside, Kate and other members of the family gathered to wave to the cheerful crowds before making the short walk back to Sandringham to feast on a traditional Christmas dinner

Unlike the Middletons, who will have opened their gifts on Christmas Day, the royals gather around a trestle table in the Red Drawing Room on Christmas Eve for their light-hearted gift exchange in a nod to the family’s German heritage. 

The game sees the sovereign (then the late Queen), hand out ‘joke’ £5 presents in strict order of seniority, and has been a Christmas mainstay within the royal household since the 19th century.

Having been advised to avoid repeating the mistakes of the late Princess Diana, who had ’embarrassed herself’ by gifting the family ‘ostentatious’ gifts, Kate leant into the humorous tradition and even purchased Prince Harry, a ‘grow your own girlfriend kit’.

Meanwhile, when it came to the late Queen, Kate’s gift was inspired by her own grandparents – as she revealed in an ITV documentary to mark Her Majesty’s 90th birthday in 2016.

She recalled: ‘I can remember being at Sandringham, for the first time, at Christmas. And I was worried [about] what to give the Queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking, “Gosh, what should I give her?”‘

She continued: ‘I thought, “I’ll make her something”, which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny’s recipe of chutney.’

Fortunately for Kate, the monarch relished her new granddaughter-in-law’s gift, with the princess admitting she was especially delighted to find it had been placed on the dining table the following day.

Ahead of Kate’s Christmas debut, the late Queen (pictured) was said to have asked her private office to provide the apprehensive new princess with the court manual that advises on the Order of Precedence in the Royal Household

The royals first started celebrating Christmas at Sandringham (pictured) when Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, took ownership of the house. The lavish Norfolk residence has remained their official meeting point ever since

She added: ‘I think such a simple gesture went such a long way for me and I’ve noticed since she’s done that on lots of occasions and I think it just shows her thoughtfulness, really, and her care in looking after everybody.’

The royals first started celebrating Christmas at Sandringham when Edward VII, then Prince of Wales, took ownership of the house. 

While Queen Victoria preferred spending the holiday season at Windsor Castle, the Firm returned to Sandringham House for Christmas in 1988 and the lavish Norfolk residence has remained their official meeting point ever since.