Why the Prince and Princess of Wales missed festive Buckingham Palace lunch
The Prince and Princess of Wales missed King Charles' pre-Christmas lunch on Thursday.
HELLO! understands that the royal couple will not be attending the wider luncheon at the palace today. They are nonetheless looking forward to spending time with the family, as usual, in Sandringham over Christmas.
The family are already in Norfolk, as they always planned to be, following the children breaking up from school.
Their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, broke up from school last week following Princess Kate's annual Christmas carol concert which took place at Westminster Abbey on 6 December. Take a look at their sweet sibling moment in the video below...
The Buckingham Palace lunch is a private event for senior royals and their wider family who will not be attending Christmas celebrations at the King's Norfolk home.
Also missing the festive occasion was Prince Andrew. News of his absence from the festive event was reported just days after it was confirmed that the Duke and his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, will not join the royals at Sandringham for Christmas amid the Chinese 'spy' scandal.
Andrew hit the headlines once again last week after a High Court hearing revealed alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo, who was banned from the UK, was said to have been a "close" confidant of Andrew. Mr Yang, who was named after an anonymity order was lifted on Monday, has insisted it was "entirely untrue" to claim he was involved in espionage and that he has "done nothing wrong or unlawful".
In a statement released last Friday, the Duke's office said Andrew "ceased all contact" with the then-unnamed businessman when concerns were first raised about him. Andrew met Mr Yang through "official channels" with "nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed".
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On Christmas day, the Waleses are expected to join the monarch and his wife Queen Camilla as they lead the royals at the morning service at St. Mary Magdalene church.
Extended family members often include the King's nieces and nephew - Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Peter Phillips – and their respective families.
