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24/12/25 The Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses

Caz Graham joins pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea for the Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses, a festive tradition dating back to 1692.

With a military pipe band and trumpet fanfares, Caz Graham joins pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea for their Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses, a festive tradition where dairy processors and farmers present cheese for the Hospital鈥檚 Christmas celebrations.

It dates back to the late 1600s when Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned by King Charles II to build a sanctuary for soldiers "broken by age and war". He asked the dairies of London to give cheese every Christmas to the veterans who became known as the Chelsea Pensioners.

Caz meets the Hospital鈥檚 Governor to hear about the origins of this ancient ceremony, farmers whose milk goes into some of the cheeses, and some of the pensioners taking part, including Andy Kay, the Chelsea pensioner who cuts the first slice of a huge 25kg Montgomery cheddar with a ceremonial sword.

There's also the latest news on the government's proposals for inheritance tax on farm businesses.

Produced and presented by Caz Graham.

10 days left to listen

14 minutes

Broadcast

  • Christmas Eve 2025 05:45

Podcast