Windsor Christmas Lunch

[antelopevalley]

I am surprised William, Kate and their children were not present. I had thought this was a key Royal Family event. I wonder if they will join the family for Christmas Eve?

"The king and Queen Consort Camilla, who are still living in their London residence Clarence House, were the first to arrive. Charles’ brother Prince Edward arrived with his wife, Sophie Countess of Wessex, and their daughter Lady Louise Windsor, who recently finished her first semester at William and Kate’s alma mater St. Andrews in Scotland. Princess Anne and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence also attended, along with Zara and Mike Tindall, and their children, Mia, Lena and Lucas, who were photographed smiling in the backseat of their Range Rover as they left the castle. The Telegraph reported that Prince Andrew was also set to attend, but he was not photographed arriving.
A handful of the late queen’s cousins also made the trip to Windsor. The Duke of Kent, arrived with his granddaughter, Lady Marina Windsor, his daughter, Lady Helen Taylor, and her family. Prince and Princess Michael of Kent also attended.
Usually Prince William and Kate Middleton attend along with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, but this year they were absent, having reportedly traveled to Anmer Hall, their home on the Sandringham Estate, when the term ended at Lambrook, the school they attend in Berkshire."

www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/12/king-charles-pre-christmas-lunch-at-windsor-castle

I was surprised by this as well. I do wonder if there’s some tension around that vile Jeremy Clarkson piece in the Sun, especially as he had attended a lunch with Camilla a few days prior.

Maybe. It does seem to point to tensions. I mean William and Kate live at Windsor.

Maybe they’re doing a pre-Christmas gathering at Amner Hall with the Middleton family before heading to Sandringham. Certainly that would be more enjoyable for the young children.

Amner Hall is on the Sandringham estate.

I thought the Windsor lunch was for those who would not be at Sandringham?

I doubt very much there are any tensions, it is obvious Kate and William get on very well with Charles and Camilla.

Maybe there's illness in the family. There's enough of it about and school age children are a prime vector for infection.

Wasn’t Kate busy planting a tree in a tartan coat or something?

Only term time. They usually stay at Sandringham on all the school holidays (baring a trip up to Balmoral).

Must be nice not to have to worry about how many spuds to peel or if there are enough pigs in blankets! 🤣

maybe they went to a panto

I thought the Windsor lunch was for those who would not be at Sandringham?

Yes, but it is essentially the extended family event that the late Queen always hosted a few days before Christmas, often at Buckingham Palace. The Sandringham guests (Queen's children and grandchildren) usually attended it as well.

I'm sure there is a benign explanation about why the Wales family skipped it this year.

Normally it is all the Royals who go to the Christmas Eve Dinner plus others like distant cousins. William and Kate as the Heirs would be expected to be there.

God the speculation. There are clearly no tensions, the affection between them is clear to see when they were at rhe Carol service.

they are allowed to have other plans, to see her family. They will be there at crimbo

on one hand people Complain the palace is too controlling, on another it’s you have to go to everything else I’m going to make uo shit about uou

Maybe they did go but went in via the back door 🤷‍♀️

That was Andrew.

Maybe they’re changing traditions now the Queen is no longer around.

Agree with a benign explanation - most probably - hey we can get a lovely fortnight in Norfolk before Christmas after the kids break up or we can shlep back to Windsor in the middle of it...

Because they don't get many holidays??

Indeed.

What little lives some must have.

Maybe one of the kids was sick.

Maybe they were attending an event with Kate's family.

Maybe they couldn't be bothered trekking all the way to Windsor, when they're going to see many of the same people in a few days anyway.

There are lots of perfectly benign reasons why they were not there. Charles made a point of being seen to support Kate at her carol service just a week ago, so dreaming up 'tensions' is just for rather desperate 'gossip' sites and those who hang out on them.

That tree will never grow like that, unless she filled the pockets and sleeves with compost. 😕

😂

Poor little rich kids!

This. And some people will always look for the negative in things the RF do.

The two most likely possibilities - they really are already in Norfolk as the article suggests.

Or they walked to Windsor from Adelaide Cottage, rather than driving and entering from one of the two road entrances (both of which are on the other side of the castle from their home). Since the press are based at the road entrances, and not inside the castle grounds, they wouldn’t have seen anyone coming on foot from the grounds.