Christmas pudding is a time-honored British tradition, and the one made by four generations of the royal family in 2019 is now ready to eat!
This week, 99 families including U.K. veterans received the puddings which were handmade by Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George, who is now 7, last Christmastime.
The puddings were distributed as part of the Royal British Legion’s "Together at Christmas" initiative, which serves to combat the loneliness and isolation many people experience during the holidays. While the puddings were made a year ago, their importance took on an even more significant meaning now during the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the recipients, Ethel Lote, who was a nurse during WWII, spoke to BBC Breakfast about what it was like to receive a Christmas pudding made by the queen herself.
Lote, who turned 100 last weekend, said that when a military hospital opened during the war, she chose to go and work there. She said she would enjoy her pudding with her grandchildren and her son, Derek.
Traditional Christmas pudding is a mixture of dried fruits, spices, dark sugar and alcohol such as stout.
It is a staple of the holiday festivities in England and, unlike the gelatinous dessert most Americans know, a British pudding is a dish that's baked or steamed. It's traditional to bake a coin inside the pudding, and whoever finds it supposedly will have good luck.
As for why the pudding is being served a year after it was made, that's because it allows the flavors to meld together, improving the taste over time!
Although some royal Christmas traditions will be broken this year due to COVID-19, it's nice to see that the Christmas pudding tradition carries on and has reached so many families in a time when good cheer is in short supply.
It was also wonderful to see the Christmas card from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, which Kensington Palace shared on Instagram last week.
Prince George was looking very grown up, as were Princess Charlotte, 5, and Prince Louis, 2 and everyone looked seasonal and cozy in their winter sweaters.
Want to make your own Christmas a little bit British this year? Check out the royal recipe for Christmas pudding and then see what else the royal family eats for Christmas dinner!