(From left) Kate Middleton, King Charles, Prince George, Prince William and Queen Camilla walk to church on Christmas at Sandringham on Dec. 25, 2023.Photo:Samir Hussein/WireImage
Samir Hussein/WireImage
King Charlesmight be shaking up a cherished Christmas tradition!
On Dec. 16,Hello!reported that the King, 76, is switching up the location of the royal family’s traditional Christmas lunch, and will host the event at Buckingham Palace instead of Windsor Castle as he has for the past two years. The British royal family is known to convene about a week before the Christmas holiday for a private family meal, and it remains unclear why the sovereign may be hosting the event in London instead of Windsor.
Last year,Princess Anne, Sir Timothy Laurence,Prince Andrew,Princess Eugenie,Jack Brooksbank,Prince Edward,Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh,Lady Louise Windsor,Zara Tindall,Peter Phillipsand more royal family members were spotteddriving around Windsoron the day of the lunch, held on Dec. 20. In a twist,Prince William,Kate Middletonand their three kids,Prince George, 11,Princess Charlotte, 9, andPrince Louis, 6, were not snapped arriving or departing — perhaps because of an especially quick commute!
(Left) Prince William and Kate Middleton in Paris in 2017; (Right) Adelaide Cottage in Windsor.Pascal Le Segretain/Getty; MediaPunch/BACKGRID
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty; MediaPunch/BACKGRID
The Wales family moved toAdelaide Cottageon the vast grounds of Windsor Castle in 2022, relocating from London in order for William to be geographically closer to his grandmotherQueen Elizabeth"in her final months," Robert Jobson wrote in the biographyCatherine, the Princess of Wales.
King Charles andQueen Camillahosted the private family lunch for thefirst timetogether in December 2022, following his accession upon his mother’s death at age 96 that September. The gathering was a revival of tradition, as the occasionhad been canceledthe previous two years amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
It would be a poignant choice if King Charles hosts the holiday lunch at Buckingham Palace, as that’s where Queen Elizabeth historically held the event. The Queen typically welcomed over 50 family members to the lunch in London, which was held about a week before she headed to Sandringham House in the Norfolk countryside for Christmas.
Queen Elizabeth photographed at Sandringham to commemorate her Accession Day on Feb. 2, 2022.Chris Jackson/Getty
The British royals have celebrated Christmas at Sandringham for generations, and Prince William and Princess Kate are set toring in the holidaywith the King there following a difficult year in which Kate and the King each received treatment for cancer. (The King’s diagnosis was announced in February and his treatment isthought to be ongoing, while Princess Kate shared in March that she had cancer and announced in September that shecompleted chemotherapy.)
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Prince Andrew and King Charles at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth on Sept. 19, 2022.Patrick van Katwijk/Getty
Patrick van Katwijk/Getty
PEOPLE understands that the Duke of York, his ex-wifeSarah Ferguson, their daughtersPrincess BeatriceandPrincess Eugenieand their young families will not be at the Sandringham Christmas celebrations in light of scrutiny for Andrew to stay away amid reports of hisalleged connections to a suspected Chinese spy. The York family had been expected to partake in the tradition and stay at Wood Farm at Sandringham estate for Christmas like they did last year, though plans have apparently since changed.
It remains unclear if Prince Andrew (who isno longer a working royal) will join the royals at the traditional Christmas lunch in light of the scandal, and Buckingham Palace had no comment.
source: people.com
