Kate Middleton and Prince William Skip King Charles’ Christmas Lunch—The Shocking Reason Revealed!

King Charles has kicked off the holiday season with his annual pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, but some key family members are notably absent.

Kate Middleton, Prince William, and their three children—Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6—are not attending this year’s gathering.

According to PEOPLE, the Prince and Princess of Wales were not expected to attend the lunch on Thursday, Dec. 19. The family is already in Norfolk, over 100 miles from London, preparing for the royal family’s private Christmas celebrations at the Sandringham Estate.

Sources say William and Kate are looking forward to spending time with family at Sandringham, continuing their cherished holiday traditions.

Although Kate and William were absent, King Charles, 76, welcomed several royal family members for his annual Christmas lunch. Among the attendees were his younger brother Prince Edward and Edward’s wife, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, who were spotted arriving at Buckingham Palace on Thursday.

However, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson chose to forgo the gathering. Their absence comes amid growing backlash regarding the Duke of York’s alleged ties to a suspected Chinese “spy.”

The Duke of York, 64, reportedly decided to skip the Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace after consulting with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. Ferguson, often referred to as “Fergie,” convinced Andrew that staying away was the right choice. He has also decided to forgo the royal family’s Christmas gathering at Sandringham on December 25.

According to royal biographer Ingrid Seward, Andrew likely discussed the situation with his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who are known for their loyalty and protectiveness towards him. “Despite [the Duchess’] past missteps, she understands the social implications and would have advised him to stay away. Beatrice would have supported her in this decision,” Seward tells PEOPLE.

Although Andrew and Ferguson divorced in 1996 after a decade of marriage, they remain close and continue to reside together at Royal Lodge in Windsor.

The annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace is a cherished family tradition, now upheld by King Charles, and was established during the reign of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth. The private gathering sees dozens of royal family members come together about a week before Christmas. Following the lunch, the late Queen would traditionally head to Sandringham House, her private estate in Norfolk, where she would attend church at St. Mary Magdalene on Christmas Day, accompanied by her family.

The Duke of York, 64, reportedly decided to skip the Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace after consulting with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. Ferguson, often referred to as “Fergie,” convinced Andrew that staying away was the right choice. He has also decided to forgo the royal family’s Christmas gathering at Sandringham on December 25.

According to royal biographer Ingrid Seward, Andrew likely discussed the situation with his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who are known for their loyalty and protectiveness towards him. “Despite [the Duchess’] past missteps, she understands the social implications and would have advised him to stay away. Beatrice would have supported her in this decision,” Seward tells PEOPLE.

Although Andrew and Ferguson divorced in 1996 after a decade of marriage, they remain close and continue to reside together at Royal Lodge in Windsor.

The annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace is a cherished family tradition, now upheld by King Charles, and was established during the reign of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth. The private gathering sees dozens of royal family members come together about a week before Christmas. Following the lunch, the late Queen would traditionally head to Sandringham House, her private estate in Norfolk, where she would attend church at St. Mary Magdalene on Christmas Day, accompanied by her family.

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The royal family’s Christmas plans have been under unusual scrutiny this year amid fallout around Andrew’s alleged links to the “spy” scandal. Charles’ younger brother has been under harsh spotlight since Dec. 13, when it emerged that he reportedly had close professional ties to a Chinese national, alleged to be a spy. The story made headlines when a British court upheld an existing decision to ban the man from the U.K. on national security grounds following a special immigration investigation, drawing attention also to his reported relationship with Andrew.

U.K. newspaper The Times reported that the businessman, 50, had been appointed as a “business adviser” by Andrew and was promised access to the highest levels of the royal family “in an apparently serious breach of national security.”

The businessman — initially codenamed only as H6, and later named on Dec. 16 as Yang Tengbo (also known as Chris Yang) — became a close confidant of King Charles’ brother and allegedly earned “an unusual degree of trust” from the royal, the BBC reported.

Yang denied any wrongdoing in a statement shared by the BBC, and Buckingham Palace didn’t comment as Andrew is not a working royal.

The Duke of York took a forced step back from public duties following his bombshell Newsnight interview in November 2019 about his speculated connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison while awaiting trial.
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This year, the royal family’s Christmas plans have come under intense scrutiny amid controversies surrounding Prince Andrew and his alleged ties to a “spy” scandal. Andrew, King Charles’ younger brother, has faced renewed criticism since December 13, when reports surfaced regarding his professional connections to a Chinese businessman alleged to be a spy.

The story gained traction when a British court upheld a decision to ban the individual from entering the U.K. on national security grounds after a special immigration investigation. Attention was drawn to the man’s relationship with Andrew, reportedly marked by close ties and questionable access to royal circles.

According to The Times, the businessman, identified as 50-year-old Yang Tengbo (also known as Chris Yang), was appointed as a “business adviser” by Andrew and allegedly promised access to high-ranking members of the royal family—described as “a serious breach of national security.” Yang was initially codenamed “H6” before being publicly named on December 16.

Yang, who has denied any wrongdoing, stated to the BBC that the allegations are unfounded. Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace has refrained from commenting, as Andrew is no longer an active working royal.

The Duke of York stepped back from public duties in 2019 following widespread fallout from his controversial Newsnight interview, where he addressed but failed to dispel concerns about his connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison while awaiting trial.

As these new allegations come to light, the scrutiny around Andrew’s actions continues to overshadow the royal family’s holiday traditions.

Prince Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and his official step back from royal responsibilities was finalized when Queen Elizabeth removed his military titles and patronages in January 2022. This action followed Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s civil sexual assault lawsuit, which was settled out of court in February 2022 for an undisclosed amount.

This year, PEOPLE understands that the York family—including Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and their respective families—will not join King Charles at Sandringham for the royal family’s Christmas celebrations. The decision follows the recent scrutiny over Andrew’s alleged ties to a Chinese “spy” scandal.

Despite not being a working royal for several years, Andrew has continued to participate in major royal ceremonial events and family holiday traditions. However, plans for this year’s Christmas festivities have reportedly shifted. Last year, the York family stayed at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, but this year, Beatrice, 36, and Eugenie, 34, are said to have accepted invitations to spend Christmas with their in-laws.

An insider suggests their attendance at Sandringham was uncertain even before the scandal, and their parents, Andrew and Fergie, are likely to remain at Royal Lodge, their home on the Windsor Castle grounds, keeping a low profile.

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