A very royal Christmas. King Charles III’s charity auctions stockings made from Sandringham drapes

LONDON — Looking for a special gift for the ultimate royal enthusiast in your life?

How about a one-of-a-kind Christmas stocking crafted from the exquisite drapes of King Charles III’s Sandringham estate? Hand-stitched with care by a talented sewing circle at Dumfries House in Scotland, where the king’s foundation is dedicated to preserving traditional crafts and skills.

With rain tapping against the windows of the historic mansion in Scotland, the members of the Dumfries House Sewing Bee put their skills to work, creating beautiful decorations that will be auctioned off to support the King’s Foundation. As they sewed, the women enjoyed each other’s company, sharing stories and laughter over cups of hot drinks.

Christine Wilson, a 72-year-old retired finance officer, expressed her delight in being part of the sewing bee: “It’s been absolutely great. It’s a wonderful atmosphere, great friends, and we contribute a lot to charity as well.”

Wilson and her fellow seamstresses have handcrafted 25 unique stockings, each bearing a special number. The 25th stocking will be presented to the king as a Christmas gift.

The proceeds from the auction, which will run until midnight on Dec. 12, will go towards supporting the foundation’s initiatives, providing training in practical skills like hospitality and animal husbandry to over 15,000 young individuals annually.

Sarah McClymont, the lead tutor for the foundation’s Future Textiles program, hopes that the auction winners will pass down these stockings as cherished family heirlooms for generations to come.

This auction marks the third event organized by the foundation in recent years.

The initiative began in 2023 with the creation of kimono jackets using curtains from Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

In 2024, students from the furniture school at Highgrove Gardens, part of the king’s private residence, crafted footstools upholstered with fabric from curtains at the palace and castle.

And rest assured, there’s no shortage of fabric from the royal residences. With 760 windows at Buckingham Palace alone, there’s an abundance of gently used material to work with.