Britain's Duchess Catherine used to make all her Christmas cards.

While the future queen and her husband Prince William - who are expecting their first baby together - would have sent out expensive cards over the festive period, when she was younger, she and her family would create their own as well as being very involved with the decorations.

Her sister Pippa Middleton said: ''When I was a child, my December weekends were spent making cards, decorating the tree, hanging the wreath and preparing brandy butter and peppermint creams. Bowls brimming with walnuts, shiny wrapped chocolates and piles of clementines would appear around the house. There was always a distinctive smell, too; pine and cinnamon and the heady scent of mulled wine and pomanders that merged into the festive basket.''

Pippa, 29, says she and her family still like to repeat their Christmas rituals as it brings back such great memories.

She wrote in her book 'Celebrate': ''No matter how much we may adapt other celebrations, come December we tend to repeat our own familiar customs year after year -and this is perhaps key to the magic of Christmas. Looking back, I don't remember the presents I received, nor whether the sprouts were overcooked or the turkey dry. But what I do remember are all the small rituals.''