Despite recent events involving Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the royal family haven't let his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, feel excluded from all of their Christmas traditions.
The sister duo were seen arriving together at Buckingham Palace for the Firm's annual pre-Christmas lunch. Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, were all smiles upon their arrival, eldest Beatrice in the driver's seat.
© Max MumbyWhile Beatrice let her beautiful red locks flow freely, Eugenie wore her raven tresses back, exposing her festive candy cane earrings. Eugenie was accompanied by her husband Jack Brooksbank, with whom she shares her sons August, four, and Ernest, two.
© Max MumbyA significant moment for the York sisters
The occasion will no doubt be filled with emotion for the sisters, whose father, formerly known as Prince Andrew, will not be on the guest list and has been disinvited from the upcoming Christmas Day celebrations at Sandringham this year.
© Max MumbyThe meal also marks the first time Beatrice and Eugenie have gathered with all of their fellow royal family members since King Charles' shock decision to strip Andrew of his princely titles and royal honours.
Big changes
While this will be the first time Andrew won't be spending Christmas Day with his royal family members, it will be the last before his big move to a property on the Sandringham Estate. HELLO!'s Homes Editor Rachel Avery explains: "There are various properties on the Sandringham estate which could become Andrew's new abode. Wood Farm, where Prince Phillip used to like to stay has been noted as being unlikely, but there's also the newly decorated The Folly, the four-bedroom Gardens House, as well as Park House and York Cottage."
As for what Andrew's day-to-day life will look like on the Norfolk estate, which is open to the public all year round, HELLO!'s Royal Editor Emily Nash explains: "Despite the estate being open to members of the public, it is thought Andrew will keep a low profile when he resides there.
"His day-to-day life may not actually look all that different from that at Windsor, given he has been living largely out of the public eye since 2019. Andrew has often been seen out riding in recent years, and that’s something he could easily continue at Sandringham, which is home to the Royal Stud. And as his disastrous Newsnight interview confirmed, he is fond of a 'straightforward shooting weekend', so he will have plenty of opportunity to indulge in that sport on the Norfolk Estate."
What is the pre-Christmas festive lunch?
While it's unclear when the first official festive lunch took place, it was a tradition started by Queen Elizabeth II, a tradition which King Charles has lovingly continued.
The special occasion is an opportunity for the monarch to bring together members of the extended family who won't necessarily be present on the Christmas Day celebrations at Sandringham.
© GettyIt is one of the very few opportunities each year for the entire extended family to gather together, with sometimes as many as 70 members of the royal family heading to the Palace for the festive get-together. For the last two years, King Charles has held the meal at Windsor Castle.
Which royals attended the lunch?
So far, royals that have been seen attending this year are the Prince and Princess of Wales with their three children, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte. Princess Anne and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, Duchess Sophie and her daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, Lady Amelia Windsor, Flora Vesterberg and her husband Timothy. See all the photos of the arrivals here.
The royal seating plan
With as many as 70 people on the guest list, you may be wondering what the seating plan for such an event looks like.
Mike Tindall, the husband of Princess Anne's daughter, Zara, previously revealed that the children are segregated in a different room.
© GettyTalking on his podcast, The Good, the Bad, the Rugby, his co-hosts James Haskell and Alex Payne previously asked: "Do you find yourself upgrading every year and getting closer to the main table, or are you off out the back? Is there a promotion and relegation based on the year's performance? Because if there is, I imagine you're pretty much sitting on the right-hand side of Her Majesty." Mike stayed quiet throughout the jokes, but later added of the King who was then Prince Charles, "I was on Prince Charles's table, it was lovely."
He then revealed that the royal little ones, including his three children Mia, Lena and Lucas, have their own table in a separate room away from the adults. He said: "This is the family lunch, there were seven tables, so there must have been about 70 of us there. The kiddies have their own little one in a different room."
