Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have opted to spend the festive season with their respective in-laws rather than joining the Royal Family gathering at Sandringham this year.
This marks the first time since their marriages that the York sisters have chosen to celebrate Christmas away from the traditional Norfolk celebrations.
The decision comes as their parents, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, also withdraw from the annual gathering amid fresh controversy surrounding the Duke of York's alleged connections to a suspected spy.
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson will instead spend December 25 at their shared home, Royal Lodge, on the Windsor estate, where they continue to live together despite their 1996 divorce.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have opted to spend the festive season with their respective in-laws rather than joining the Royal Family gathering at Sandringham this year.
PAThe couple had initially been expected to stay at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate, as they did last year when Ferguson made her first public appearance at the royal Christmas in three decades.
The Independent reported that it was Ferguson who encouraged Prince Andrew to withdraw from the celebrations, giving up her own invitation in the process.
The outlet reported: “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.”
Princess Beatrice, 36, is currently expecting her second child with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, due in early 2025.
Princess Beatrice, 36, is currently expecting her second child with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, due in early 2025.
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The couple, who married in 2020, share daughter Sienna Elizabeth, 3, and Edo's son Christopher Woolf, 8, known as Wolfie.
Princess Eugenie, 34, who married Jack Brooksbank in 2018, has two sons: August, 3, and Ernest, 1.
Both sisters received invitations from their in-laws some time ago and chose to accept them.
The York sisters have been regular fixtures at Sandringham throughout their lives, having only missed one Christmas there in the past decade during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
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Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson will instead spend December 25 at their shared home, Royal Lodge, on the Windsor estate, where they continue to live together despite their 1996 divorce.
GettyA statement from the Duke of York's office addressed the spy allegations on Friday, saying: "The Duke of York followed advice from His Majesty's Government and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised."
The statement added: "The Duke met the individual through official channels with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security."
The decision for the Yorks to remain at Royal Lodge was reportedly made easier by their daughters' plans to celebrate with their in-laws.
Last year, both princesses participated in the traditional Christmas walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church alongside their parents, making this year's absence particularly notable.
