Full list of royals who won't be joining King Charles at Sandringham this Christmas
Some members of the Royal Family, who usually spend Christmas at Sandringham, will not be present this year.
With just five days until Christmas, many members of the Royal Family will no doubt be getting ready to celebrate the festivities with King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Each year, members of the Royal Family gather at Sandringham to spend the big day together, starting with a gift-giving and a formal dinner on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day then consists of breakfast, the famous walk to church for the Christmas service, and then back to Sandringham House for Christmas Dinner and games.
While several senior royals are expected to attend the celebrations this year, including Prince William, Princess Kate, and their three children, the guest list is missing some key royals who, for one reason or another, will not be attending.
Here is the full list of key royals not attending Sandringham and the reasons why:
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be at Sandringham with the Royal Family this year, marking the sixth year they have been absent from the celebrations.
While Harry spent almost every Christmas at Sandringham growing up, this changed in 2019 when the couple decided to spend Christmas with their son Archie overseas. Months later, the couple quit life as senior royals and moved to California, fracturing some relationships with Harry’s royal relatives in their wake.
While Harry, 40, is believed to be on good terms with his father, King Charles, he is reportedly not on good terms with his brother, Prince William.
It was reported last month that Harry and Meghan did not receive an invite to Sandringham for Christmas and are likely to spend the day at their Montecito mansion instead.
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Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson
Despite originally being on the guest list to attend Christmas at Sandringham, this has all changed over the last week after Andrew became involved in another scandal.
After it was reported that the Duke of York, 64, had been previously friends with Chinese businessman and now suspected spy Yang Tengbo, the duke has faced harsh criticism. He has insisted that he never shared anything of a “sensitive” nature with the businessman despite inviting him into royal palaces.
Since the scandal, which has dominated royal news over the last week, Andrew has decided to step back from public events for the foreseeable, which includes the annual Sandringham celebrations where the Royal Family walk to church and greet members of the public. He also decided not to attend the pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace. It is believed he will spend Christmas Day with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson at their Royal Lodge home in Windsor.
Mr Tengbo has denied being a spy.
Princess Eugenie
Princess Eugenie usually spends Christmas at Sandringham; however, according to reports, this is not the case this year.
Instead, Eugenie, 34, will spend the day with her husband Jack Brooksbank’s family, along with their two sons August and Ernest.
The couple did attend the pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace yesterday with their eldest son.
Princess Beatrice
Princess Beatrice is also set not to be at Sandringham this year as like her sister, she will reportedly be with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi’s family, along with her three-year-old daughter Sienna.
Beatrice, who is currently pregnant with her second child, was also spotted arriving at Buckingham Palace on Thursday for a festive lunch. While the plans are reportedly to spend Christmas with her inlaws, one royal expert said that this could change as a result of her dad Prince Andrew’s latest scandal.
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward told the Telegraph: "Somehow or other, I think that Fergie and Andrew will be with Beatrice, Edo and the kids, either at Royal Lodge or the in-laws. She is very close to her father and will want to support him and be with him at this time. I cannot possibly see Fergie sitting alone at Royal Lodge.”
Despite these absences, Prince William revealed last week that 45 members of the Royal Family are set to gather at Sandringham on December 25, in what he said will be a “noisy” Christmas.
