The 'disappearing' festive traditions King Charles is determined to maintain

King Charles has hosted a special Christmas event at his Highgrove country estate, celebrating a festive tradition he hopes to see continue.

Charles, 76, hosted the annual Crafts at Christmas event at his Highgrove residence in Gloucestershire.

The event was attended by tutors and students from the King's Foundation education programs and aimed to highlight painting, millinery and embroidery.

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"It's really trying to maintain the timeless skills, which are always needed really, whatever age we're in," the king explained at the event.

"They are all rather disappearing, the battle is trying to keep all the special ones."

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The King greeted guests and helped decorate the tree in the Orchard Room, which serves as an events space on the grounds of Highgrove.

Also at the event was local choir Rock Choir, who wore Santa hats and sang festive tunes.

King Charles has owned Highgrove since 1980. It was his first residence following his marriage to Princess Diana in 1981 and the first home of children Prince William and Prince Harry.

The British royal family will celebrate Christmas on their Sandringham estate in Norfolk as is tradition each year.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will host the festivities, with the royals participating in their traditional walk as they attend mass at St Mary Magdalene Church.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to be in attendance as well as their children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six.

Also expected to be in attendance are the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

It isn't known if Prince Andrew will join the family this year, after it was reported a "close confidant" of the royal is an alleged Chinese "spy" who has been banned from entering the UK on national security grounds.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to remain in the US at their Montecito home with children Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three.

Tom Parker Bowles, the son of Queen Camilla, will also reportedly join the royals this year.

The 50-year-old usually spends the festive season with his ex-wife, the former fashion editor Sara Buys, and their teenage children Lola and Frederick.

But this year, he is taking the family to Norfolk.

"For the past 15 years it has been: I go back to my ex-wife's house, sit in my tracksuit bottoms, go to the pub while the beef's in, then try to get my children to watch The Wild Geese. Classic," he told The Telegraph UK.

"So this would be a bit different.

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"I genuinely know nothing about it. I know there's turkey and sprouts and church. And I have to bring a suit and a dinner jacket."

Parker Bowles said his mum asked him to attend after what has been "a hell of a two years" for the royals.

Both King Charles and the Princess of Wales battled cancer this year and the queen recently recovered from a bout of pneumonia.

"My mum said 'I'd love you to come, I haven't had Christmas with you for a long time,'" he said.

"It has been a hell of a two years for them. The older you get, the more conscious you become of mortality, especially with illnesses and the rest of it, he added.

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