Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie swerve Royal Christmas after Andrew and Fergie skip bash

In a break from royal tradition, this year's Christmas celebration will be missing two much loved faces, as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie make other plans

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are both set to miss out on this year’s royal Christmas gathering at Sandringham, in a huge break from a tradition they have followed for almost all their lives. Ever since they were children, both Princesses have attended the annual soiree hosted at Sandringham, and for nine out of the past ten years, have made a key point of attending.

The news that the sisters would be missing out on a royal Christmas, came shortly after reports emerged that confirmed that their parents Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, would also be skipping the bash hosted by King Charles. It is believed that the Prince and his ex-wife will instead celebrate alone at their Royal Lodge home on the Windsor estate.

The couple’s absence marks a stark change from last year’s celebration, when Prince Andrew and Fergie were permitted to attend the event and even took part in the annual Christmas walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church on the estate’s grounds. However, in the wake the recent scandal over the Prince’s alleged connections to a suspected Chinese spy, the couple are understood to be marking the occasion privately instead.

Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, meanwhile, will not be spending the holidays with their parents either, as it is understood that both royals were invited to spend Christmas with their respective in-laws several months ago, and have decided to take them up on the kind offer.

Beatrice has been married to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi since 2020, with the couple currently expecting their second child due in the New Year. The couple also share daughter Sienna, 3, and son Wolfie, 8, who is Edo’s son from a previous relationship.

Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank in 2018, with the couple sharing two sons together, August, 3 and Ernest, 1.

The York sisters have only missed the Sandringham celebration once in the past decade, and that was due to coronavirus restrictions in 2020 which didn’t allow family gatherings outside of their respective bubbles. Yet despite missing out on the event, which is due to be attended by many key royals including Prince William and his wife Princess Kate - this year will mark a milestone for both sisters, as it is the first time they have spent Christmas with their respective in-laws.

According to The Independent, it was Fergie’s idea for Prince Andrew to step back from the celebration this year, which meant sacrificing her own invitation to the gathering in the process. “The decision for the pair to stay put at the Royal Lodge is thought to have been made easier by Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s plans to spend Christmas with their respective in-laws this year for the first time,” wrote the outlet.