Andrew and Sarah Have ‘Plenty of Options’ for Christmas After Being Uninvited by the Royals: Expert
As the royal family prepares for its annual Christmas gathering at Sandringham, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson are expected to spend the holidays far from the Norfolk estate. Due to their many controversies, the two have not been invited to celebrate the holidays with the rest of the family this year. Their absence reflects the increasingly distant position they occupy within the monarchy, particularly as questions continue to surround the former Prince’s uncertain future. With Royal Lodge expected to be vacated in early 2026, this Christmas is likely to be their last there. Still, royal biographer Andrew Lownie insists the season may be far from bleak, noting the former couple have “plenty of options."
As per Cosmopolitan UK, Lownie, who has written extensively on the Yorks, believes the residence remains their most likely setting for the holiday season. "I [think] they would take advantage of this last Christmas to do all sorts of entertaining there," he said, suggesting the former Duke and Duchess may host friends rather than retreat entirely from the season. Lownie suggested that Mountbatten-Windsor and Ferguson still have a small but loyal social circle. "They've got friends... there are friends that go back a long way, and [have] stuck with them," he said, noting that the former Prince in particular "still has his shooting friends."
There remains, however, the possibility that the former Duke and Duchess could spend the festive period away from Windsor altogether. With preparations for relocations already said to be underway, Lownie suggested that they may choose to stay with friends instead. "They may go to friends," adding that despite recent developments, Mountbatten-Windsor and Ferguson are unlikely to face what he described as a "terrible Christmas." While the former couple remain out of the guest list, their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, have been invited to Sandringham to join the rest of the royal family for the gathering.
Though whether they will spend the holiday with the rest of the royals or their parents is still uncertain. Last year, instead of Sandringham, Eugenie spent the holidays with her husband’s family, while Beatrice joined the royals for the official celebrations. A similar arrangement may unfold this year as well, though there is no official confirmation. Lownie has suggested that relations between Mountbatten-Windsor, Ferguson, and their daughters have grown “tense,” making a full family Christmas at Royal Lodge less likely. As per the biographer, in order to distance themselves from ongoing controversies surrounding their father, the sisters may "go to Sandringham and muck in with the big party" if they do not have any prior commitments with their respective families.
Interestingly, in 2023 Ferguson briefly joined the royal family at Sandringham, walking to St. Mary Magdalene Church on Christmas Day alongside her former husband and other royals. It marked her first appearance at the service in more than three decades. Though that return did not last for long, and in 2024 the former couple skipped Christmas with the family altogether.