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Prince William and Princess Catherine could reportedly choose to miss the Royal Family’s traditional Christmas celebrations at Sandringham this year amid speculation surrounding the possible attendance of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are also believed to be keen to avoid an uncomfortable encounter with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York, whose association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has continued to attract controversy.
According to reports, Andrew is hoping to spend Christmas with other members of the Royal Family at Sandringham, where he is said to be living following his departure from Royal Lodge in Windsor.
His potential inclusion in the festivities has reportedly prompted discussions within the royal household, with some senior family members said to favour a more compassionate approach towards him.
An insider speaking to Closer Magazine claimed that Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and Prince Edward have been encouraging King Charles to reconsider how his younger brother is treated.
The source said:
“Camilla, Anne and Edward have all been telling the King that it would be both kind and prudent to show his brother a little more mercy.
However, the source suggested that King Charles remains reluctant to welcome his younger brother back into the royal fold, while Prince William is reportedly even more firmly against the possibility.
The insider continued:
“But Charles wants him at arm’s length, and William is totally opposed to the idea of his disgraced uncle coming anywhere near the family, on Christmas Day of all days.”
Amid the uncertainty surrounding Andrew’s possible attendance at Sandringham, speculation has emerged that the Prince and Princess of Wales could make alternative arrangements for the festive season.
According to the claims, William and Catherine may decide to celebrate Christmas with the Middleton family rather than join the traditional royal gathering.
Such a decision would not be entirely unexpected, as the couple previously followed a pattern of alternating their Christmas celebrations between the Royal Family and Catherine’s relatives.
A well-connected columnist has suggested that this year could provide an opportunity for the future King and Queen to revive that longstanding family tradition, particularly if tensions over the Sandringham guest list remain unresolved.
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Speculation surrounding Prince William and Princess Catherine’s Christmas plans has intensified following comments published in the Daily Mail’s Ephraim Hardcastle gossip column.
The columnist suggested that the prospect of spending Christmas alongside Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor could be enough to persuade the Prince and Princess of Wales to reconsider attending the traditional Sandringham gathering.
The possible presence of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was also identified as another factor that could make the festive celebrations uncomfortable for the couple.
The column stated:
“Repots that Andrew might be invited to Christmas lunch at Sandringham might be too much for William and Kate. And the possibility Harry and Meghan might also turn up won’t exactly help their mood.
“The Fractured Four were persuaded by officials, desperate for a display of unity, to walk to church together on Christmas morning in 2018. It was an uncomfortable stunt which fooled no one.
“Will and Kate had to cancel plans with her family, ending the custom that they alternated spending the big day between the royals and the Middletons. Re-booting that tradition seems a good idea right now.”
The remarks recalled the widely discussed Christmas Day appearance in 2018, when William, Catherine, Harry and Meghan attended church together despite reports of growing tensions between the two couples.
Although their joint appearance was publicly presented as a demonstration of family unity, the columnist characterised it as an unsuccessful attempt to conceal the disagreements developing behind palace walls.
The commentary also highlighted how William and Catherine’s earlier tradition of alternating Christmas celebrations between Sandringham and the Middleton household had been interrupted.
With renewed speculation about possible tensions at this year’s royal gathering, spending the holiday with Catherine’s parents and relatives has been suggested as an alternative.
However, the reports remain speculative, and there has been no official confirmation that the Prince and Princess of Wales intend to change their Christmas arrangements.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly expected to spend Christmas in the United States, allowing their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to enjoy the festive celebrations with their maternal grandmother, Doria Ragland.
However, the possibility of a royal reunion has not been entirely ruled out. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex could still choose to accept an invitation to celebrate Christmas with King Charles, giving Archie and Lilibet an opportunity to spend time with their paternal grandfather.
Meanwhile, Princess Catherine’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, reside at Bucklebury Manor in Berkshire, an impressive country property surrounded by approximately 18 acres of land.
The estate holds special significance for the Wales family, as Prince George spent the earliest weeks of his life there following his birth.
William and Kate’s Previous Christmas Celebrations with the Middletons
Spending Christmas with Catherine’s relatives would mark a return to a familiar tradition for the Prince and Princess of Wales, who have celebrated the holiday with the Middleton family on several occasions.
In December 2016, William and Catherine attended a Christmas Day service at St Mark’s Church in Englefield, Berkshire, accompanied by their two children at the time, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
The family gathering also included Catherine’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, along with her younger sister, Pippa, and brother, James.
That year, Catherine revealed details of the gifts she hoped to place beneath the family’s Christmas tree.
She planned to include teddy bears dressed in scouting uniforms for her children, with a Cub Scout-themed bear intended for three-year-old George and a Beaver Scout version for Charlotte, who was just 19 months old.
Two years earlier, in 2014, William and Catherine enjoyed another Christmas celebration that included the Middleton family.
Catherine was pregnant with Princess Charlotte at the time, and the couple welcomed her parents and siblings to their Norfolk residence, Anmer Hall, for Christmas lunch.
It marked the first occasion on which the couple hosted the festive meal themselves, having received permission from Queen Elizabeth II to miss the traditional royal gathering at nearby Sandringham.
The Prince and Princess of Wales had also opted to spend Christmas in Berkshire in 2012, shortly after Buckingham Palace publicly confirmed that Catherine was expecting their first child, Prince George.
For several years, the couple maintained a tradition of dividing their Christmas celebrations between the Royal Family and Catherine’s relatives.
However, that arrangement was disrupted in 2018, when William and Catherine joined Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for a highly publicised Christmas Day appearance at Sandringham amid reports of tensions between the two couples.
With fresh speculation surrounding this year’s royal Christmas gathering, the possibility of William and Catherine returning to their former family tradition has once again become a subject of discussion.
For now, however, their festive plans remain unconfirmed.
