What Christmas at Sandringham is REALLY like: From 'viciously competitive' board games to Prince Philip's 'very strong' cocktails, experts reveal how the royal celebrations are 'wonderfully relaxed'

• Queen drinks a martini on Christmas Eve, while most royals enjoy Champagne 
• Family gift each other joke gifts, one year Kate buying Harry a 'grow your own girlfriend kit' while the Queen received a 'Big Mouth Billie Bass' wall decoration 
• Royals often stay up until the early hours of the morning, sometimes singing around the piano, the Channel 5 documentary revealed

You might think that spending Christmas with the royal family would be a thoroughly formal affair.

But a documentary has revealed that royals celebrating Christmas with the Queen at Sandringham have a lot of fun, with the famous family enjoying 'very strong' cocktails mixed by Prince Philip, and fiercely competitive board games. 

Sandringham: The Queen at Christmas, which aired last night on Channel 5, revealed that the royals arrive at the Norfolk estate on Christmas Eve, with Prince Philip kicking off festivities when he hosts a drink reception at 7.30pm, pouring the tipples himself.  

Christmas Eve 

Royal expert, Ingrid Seward, revealed that the drinks served by the Duke of Edinburgh are 'very strong'.

She said: 'I think the Queen likes a martini, other people would rather have champagne.

'Prince Philip isn't a great drinker, he always used to drink pale ale.

'So they're not great drinkers. But the drinks are very strong. 

'So any one that's a guest would be knocked out by these drinks.'

After the drinks reception, the family consume a candle-lit six-course meal, with the menu presented in French.

Ingrid added: 'Of course nobody goes to bed before the Queen, and of course when Princess Margaret was alive nobody went to bed before her either. So that meant two or three o'clock in the morning.

'There was  a lot of singing and if someone plays the piano well, like Princess Margaret did, they will be very popular.

The royals also take part in the German tradition of sharing gifts on Christmas Eve, a tradition started by Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert. 

But rather than the grand gifts you might expect the royal family gifting each other, they in fact compete to buy one another the tackiest, silliest gifts. 

At 6pm precisely the royals are called into Sandringham's drawing room, where they have a 'holy evening' of gift giving and view the gifts as the 'jokier the better', the documentary revealed.

Over the years, the Queen has received a 'Big Mouth Billie Bass' the comical singing fish that hangs on walls, as well as a washing up apron as gifts from her family. 

One year, Prince Harry gifted his brother William a comb, making light of his hair loss, while The Duchess of Cambridge brought her brother-in-law a 'Grow Your Own Girlfriend' kit, before he met his wife Meghan.

The documentary revealed during her first visit at Sandringham, Princess Diana missed the memo and bought Princess Anne a cashmere jumper, only to receive a toilet roll holder in return.

She quickly learned her lesson though, and the following year purchased a leopard print bath mat for Sarah Ferguson. 

Christmas Day

There's no lie in for royals after a late night on Christmas Eve, because they are up early on Christmas Day to attend church, with the eyes of the world on them.

But not before opening a stocking and also enjoying breakfast together, where 'everyone serves themselves'. 

All guests, including the Corgis, receive a stocking in the morning which has gifts and fruit from the Queen inside. 

Royal writer Richard Kay added: 'We all think it's a terribly formal, but really they have a  wonderful relaxed time at Sandringham like the rest of us.

He added the the family regularly play charades and party games.

'The Queen is a very good mimic and did a wonderful Margaret Thatcher impression years ago,' he continued. 

Claudia Joseph, Royal Author added: 'Prince Andrew once said they don't play monopoly as it gets too vicious, as they're all so competitive'.  

After church,  the royals head back to the main house and enjoy a full Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, including mashed potatoes with cream and butter, sauteed parsnips with Parmesan,  carrots, stuffing, gravy and Brussels sprouts served with onion and shredded bacon.

Following dinner, the whole family watches the Queen's Christmas message together.  

Most of the family leave on Boxing Day and make their way to see other parts of their family over the festive period, after taking part in the annual Boxing Day shoot.

The Queen and Prince Philip stay at the Norfolk Estate until early February, to mark the anniversary of George VI's death. 

The Queen's father died on the estate in 1952. 

Before Christmas 

While a lot of festive fun is had on the estate, the tradition begins before the royals arrive, with Prince Philip decorating the tree and strict pecking order dictating which royals arrive first.

The most junior royals are the first guest, followed by the higher-ranking family members, with Prince Charles and Camilla arriving last. 

While the Queen approves royal decorations at all official residences, Prince Philip will always put the gold star on top of the tree. 

Royal commentator Dickie Arbiter revealed: 'The tree is decorated in much the same way as people throughout the United Kingdom decorate their tree.

'You've got the baubles, the tinsel, the coloured lights.'  

Royal expert, Claudia Joseph, added: 'Prince Philip will always put the gold star on the top of the tree, and probably will continue to do so for the rest of his life.

'He's quite a stalwart and won't let other people take control.

'When any young children come they put their own decorations on.'  

The Queen also makes sure all her staff are looked after, and personally signs a Chrsitmas card to all staff.

Dickie added: 'The Queen signs every Christmas card she sends, as does Prince Philip.

'There's no stencilling or faxing or anything like that, and the card count runs into hundreds.

'All the staff get a card, then friends get a card.

'There are people you've got send cards to and people you want to send cards to, but every card is signed by both of them.'