As many mourn the loss of Queen Elizabeth II and celebrate her life, we are looking back on how her majesty historically celebrated New Year’s Eve during her 70 years on the throne.
The Queen – under typical pre-pandemic circumstances – usually hosted a party, with an open invitation to all members of the Royal Family at the Queen’s Sandringham residence.
As for what happens at the party, before the Queen rings in the New Year at midnight, there are fun and games. According to royal expert Brian Hoey, Her Majesty enjoyed a game of ‘lucky dip’.
The game is fairly simple and begins with a footman who brings in a tub filled with sawdust and hidden notes, all of which contain written predictions for the coming year.
Sir William Heseltine, Her Majesty’s private secretary between 1986 and 1990, said in an interview: “For [Princess] Diana the long royal evenings were agony”. He went on to say, “There’d be an hour or so in the sitting room of everyone sitting around making conversation, and nobody felt it right to go to bed before the Queen did but Diana was driven to such extremes that she’d excuse herself and go to bed.”
After the clock strikes midnight, the Queen would head to bed, after which time, other members of her family and invited guests are permitted to go sleep.
As for New Year’s Day, she will welcome the new year with a church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham.
Following this, the monarch then takes part in some of her favorite actives.
The Queen is an avid fan of horses and she begins each year indulging in horse-riding around the estate.
To complete the day, the Queen partakes in a pheasant hunt.
Her Majesty will be missed by all around the world.
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