As with many of the seemingly unusual rituals that make up everyday life for members of the British Royal Family, the ritual of being weighed before and after Christmas dinner goes back many generations to King Charles III’s great-great-grandfather, King Edward VII.
Like many families, the royals’ Christmas celebrations revolve around consuming copious amounts of food and drink. Christmas day consists of a roast turkey lunch, tea and cake in the afternoon, and another sprawling meal in the evening. According to Grazia, during Edward’s reign, it became traditional for everyone who dined with the royals on Christmas day to be weighed before and after the day’s feasting to ensure everyone had indulged enough that it would show on the scales.
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The tradition made headlines in 2018 when it was revealed that Meghan Marckle’s mother, Doria, had been invited by Queen Elizabeth II to spend Christmas with the Royal Family at their Sandringham estate. Some outlets were dismayed at the thought of the outsider being faced with a weighing ceremony on a day when she would be expected to consume to excess, though it was also reported that Doria would not be under pressure to adhere to all aspects of royal protocol on account of being American.
