King Charles Kicks Off Christmas at Sandringham Entertaining Kate Middleton's Close Charity

The King hosted a party at Sandringham House, Norfolk on Thursday night

King Charles is getting into the Christmas spirit at Sandringham.

On Thursday evening, the King, 75, held a soiree for local charity volunteers and others at the country home where he'll host the royal family’s Christmas festivities in the coming days.

The reception was at Sandringham House, in Norfolk, where members of the royal family are set to gather over the coming weekend, before being seen on Christmas Day for the walk to and from the morning church services at St. Mary Magdalene.

Buckingham Palace had no comment on the soiree at Sandringham as it was a private event.

One of the groups invited to Thursday's party was the West Norfolk branch of Baby Basics, which Kate Middleton works closely with on her Shaping Us campaign to support the early years. Baby Basics is a network of baby banks that help families in need across the U.K, and posted a peek of the invite for the drinks reception.

Related: Guest at Kate Middleton's Carol Concert Shares Behind-the-Scenes Details Ahead of Christmas Eve Broadcast

“We are so so proud of Baby Basics West Norfolk who are heading to Sandringham House for a drinks reception with HM King Charles lll in recognition of their amazing work in their community,” Baby Basics wrote on X with hearts and a clapping emoji.

A few of the groups, plus other food and baby banks, were invited to Princess Kate's "Together at Christmas" carol concert at Westminster Abbey earlier this month. The Princess of Wales' third annual holiday concert was linked to Shaping Us, marking a full-circle moment for the initiative she launched in January.

That invitation, alongside many other organizations and professionals who have helped with Kate's Shaping Us campaign during its first year, recognized the key role that baby banks are playing during difficult times. Pauline Byrne, center manager for Baby Basics in Barry, south Wales, was one of those guests. She told PEOPLE of the Baby Basics' mission, “It doesn’t matter how big or small your center is, it’s who you’re helping at the end of the day."

“We are trying to break this myth that there are undeserving poor out there. The majority of people are in this situation through no fault of their own and we are trying to give dignity back to those people that they have lost,” she says.

Byrne adds that Princess Kate “has a lot of empathy and compassion. I think she doesn’t take her life for granted."

"She must recognize that there are families who are not as fortunate and that your surroundings and resources actually shape how you develop in your adult life," she says. (A film of the Royal Carols: Together At Christmas concert will be it will be broadcast on ITV on Christmas Eve.)

Related: King Charles and Queen Camilla Share This Year's Christmas Card — with a Photo from the Coronation!

In fact, the Princess of Wales — who is spearheading an appeal for kids’ clothing and food and gifts over the holiday season — gave her three children Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, an experience of what it was like to give back, when they helped pack boxes and choose toys for families at a baby bank in Maidenhead, Berkshire, recently.

The carol service and Christmas campaign "is the culmination of a lot of things that the Princess has led on this year,” CEO of Baby Basics Cat Ross told PEOPLE.

Charles' drinks reception at Sandringham came only a day after he hosted his wider family at Windsor Castle for a pre-Christmas lunch. Among those who attended on Wednesday were Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, and Charles' youngest brother Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh. Prince William, Princess Kate and their three kids were not snapped entering or exiting — perhaps because of an especially quick commute! In 2022, the family moved to Adelaide Cottage on the vast grounds of Windsor Castle.

This weekend, the festivities will continue for the royals when they exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, following a German custom that Queen Victoria’s Bavarian-born husband, Prince Albert, introduced in the mid-19th century.

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After the present swap on Christmas Eve and morning service at St. Mary Magdalene Church on Christmas Day, the royals retreat to Sandringham House for a traditional Christmas lunch of roast turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry, bread sauces and Christmas pudding.

Following the holiday meal, the family tunes in to the monarch’s annual televised address, which airs at 3 p.m. in the U.K.

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