The royals enjoyed another successful Christmas at Sandringham despite a difficult year. Those in attendance put on a united front despite several notable absentees as well-wishers gathered in Norfolk to welcome them.
It would have been a bittersweet day for King Charles, 76, as what is a traditional day of togetherness actually highlighted the splits within the family. Prince Harry, 40, and Meghan Markle, 43, again stayed in the US with Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3 as their estrangement from the royal family stretches into a sixth year.
Also missing was Prince Andrew, 64, and Sarah Ferguson, 65. the Duke of York has found himself embroiled in a fresh scandal, this time surrounding his friendship with am alleged Chinese spy.
His ex-wife persuaded him to give Sandringham a miss this year despite her own triumphant return to the royal fold in 2023. The pair instead stayed at Royal Lodge for Christmas Day.
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However, the Yorks were represented in the shape of Princess Beatrice, 36. Heavily pregnant with her second child, Beatrice and hubby Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 41, ditched plans to travel to his family in Italy with their daugher Sienna, 3, and his eight-year-old son from a previous relationship Christopher Woolf, known as ‘Wolfie’.
And according to a royal author, there was a “subtle reminder” of Beatrice’s place in the royal hierarchy that will have pleased her father. Writing in the Daily Mail, Robert Hardman noted that in the procession to church, Beatrice closely followed the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 42.
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew were not at Sandringham for Christmas
With the King and Queen leading the way, William and Kate’s family were next in line before Beatrice entered the fray. Hardman said: “Once again, the Dukes of York and Sussex were nowhere to be seen, though Prince Andrew will have been delighted to see the prominence given to his elder daughter, Princess Beatrice, yesterday at Sandringham.
“She and her husband were next in line to the Waleses on the way out of church, a subtle reminder that she remains in the top ten in the royal line of succession.” Charles is said to like Beatrice and her sister Eugenie, 34, who did follow through with plans to spend the festive season with her in-laws.
And with the lives of the royals often organised to the tiniest degree, it may have been no coincidence that Beatrice, who is ninth in the line of succession, was given such prominence on the most important day of the year. Something that will be a boost to her but also potentially leave the door open for her father.
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