The Real Reason Kate Middleton Skipped King Charles’ Early Christmas—& if She’ll Miss More Celebrations
The Royal Family started Christmas celebrations on Thursday, December 19th. However, not all royal family members attended the annual pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace. Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, were not present at this year’s event, which was hosted by King Charles.
Also not present at the lunch was King Charles’s younger brother Prince Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who canceled their appearance after recent backlash over his supposed connection to an alleged Chinese spy. He will also skip the family’s Christmas gathering at Sandringham on December 25. It’s the latest in a long line of controversies for the Duke of York, who took a step back from public duties following the fallout from a Newsnight interview he gave about his connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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Both of Prince Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, attended the lunch, a tradition the King has continued from his mother Queen Elizabeth. Typically, the Queen would host this lunch and then head to Sandringham House, her private estate in the Norfolk countryside. She would then step out for church at St. Mary Magdalene on Christmas Day with her family. King Charles is expected to do the same next week.
But where will Kate Middleton, Prince William, and their children be? Why did they skip the Christmas lunch? And will they still spend Christmas with the rest Royal Family, including King Charles and Queen Camilla?
Why did Kate Middleton skip King Charles’ Christmas lunch?
Kate Middleton and Prince William did not attend the Buckingham Palace lunch because they were already at Anmer Hall in Norfolk for the holidays alongside their kids. The Prince and Princess of Wales were never expected to attend the lunch, and are instead expected to catch up with the family at Sandringham over Christmas. The Princess of Wales has been slowly easing back into public duties after a year of health struggles.
Other members of the family in attendance at the lunch included Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, and Princess Beatrice and Eugenie. Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson did not attend, and the two of them and their daughters are not expected to join King Charles at Sandringham due to his latest scandal.
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Plans are for the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children to spend Christmas at Sandringham with King Charles where and participate in the royal family’s celebrations. It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but if all goes as planned, the family is expected to join in the traditional walk to and from church. Whether the traditional walk will include the entire family will likely depend on the health of both King Charles, Kate Middleton, and Queen Camilla, who has also been under the weather lately with pneumonia.
Kate Middleton has eased back into public life after facing health struggles this year, much like King Charles. The Princess of Wales announced in March that she’d been diagnosed with cancer, like King Charles. In September, she confirmed she’d completed chemotherapy and was now cancer-free.
