Kate Middleton’s sweet first Christmas gift to the Queen that sparked their special relationship

The Duchess of Cambridge gave the thoughtful gift to the Queen in 2011. Christmases with the in-laws can be difficult for anyone, but even more so when you marry into the royal family. When the Duchess of Cambridge first joined the royals at Sandringham for Christmas, she was reportedly very nervous about what to get for the Queen.

She eventually settled on a handmade gift that went down so well that it reportedly helped forge their close bond.

 

Royal expert Duncan Larcombe explained to OK! that in 2011 at her first Christmas with the royals, Kate gave the Queen a homemade chutney.

He said: “A homemade chutney gift was absolutely spot on – down to earth, practical and frugal – everything Her Majesty loves.

“It also showed that Kate could relate to the Queen as a normal grandmother and not just the head of state. And it helped forge a bond built on mutual respect and admiration.”

 

The Duchess also spoke about the moment in the 2016 documentary marking the Queen’s 90th birthday. She said: “I can remember being at Sandringham, for the first time, at Christmas, and I was worried what to give the Queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking, ‘Gosh, what should I give her?’”

She continued: “I thought back to what I would give my own grandparents. And I thought, ‘I’ll make her something,’ which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny’s recipe of chutney.

“I was slightly worried about it, but I noticed the next day that it was on the table.

 

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.”