Prince William, Kate, and the Duke and Duchess of York skipped King Charles’ pre-Christmas lunch after the Chinese «spy» scandal
The Prince and Princess of Wales did not attend the King’s pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, where the wider Royal Family gathered for their annual tradition.
Instead, Prince William and Kate are looking forward to spending time with their family at Sandringham over the holidays.
Sources confirm the Waleses are already in Norfolk with their three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—and had planned to be there all along.
It has also been emphasized that their absence was unrelated to Prince Andrew’s decision to skip the lunch amid the ongoing Chinese «spy» scandal.
A royal source confirmed the Waleses’ absence just before 11am, around the same time King Charles arrived at Buckingham Palace for the lunch.
Kate, who has been gradually returning to public events after completing cancer treatment in September, was last seen with her family on December 6 at Westminster Abbey for the Together at Christmas carol service.
Four days later, William, during a visit to Picton Barracks, mentioned he was looking forward to Christmas but «not ready» for it, noting they would celebrate with 45 family members at Sandringham, all together in one room—unusual for them.
Meanwhile, George, Charlotte, and Louis have been on Christmas break since last Friday, when their school, Lambrook near Windsor, closed for the holidays until January 8.
Eugenie and Jack’s son August, 3, was seen asleep in the back of the car wearing a Santa hat, while Beatrice’s stepson, Christopher ‘Wolfie’ Woolf, 8, was also spotted in his parents’ car.
Other arrivals included Queen Camilla, Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Lady Gabriella Windsor, Countess Mountbatten Penelope Knatchbull, and Lord Frederick Windsor with his wife Sophie Winkleman and daughter Isabella.
