Former Royal Staffer Says King Charles 'Will Be Sad' With Beatrice's Christmas Decision
Christmas has always held deep significance for the royal family, who traditionally choose to spend the festive season together at Sandringham. From a black-tie dinner on Christmas Eve to a lighthearted gift exchange, the royals enjoy the holiday as a united family. They then attend a church service on Christmas Day and spend the remainder of the festivities celebrating life, family, and togetherness. However, Princess Beatrice now appears to be slowly distancing herself, and her decision could very likely hurt King Charles’ sentiments.
With everything going on surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his controversies, his daughters have chosen to take a step back from the royal household. First, Beatrice and Princess Eugenie skipped Princess Kate’s carol concert, and now the former will not be attending the family Christmas celebration. The sisters previously attended the pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace, where they were spotted with their family for the first time since their father’s scandal broke. Now, Beatrice seems to be taking a further step away from royal tradition, choosing instead to prioritize her own family.
According to The Mirror, Beatrice will be celebrating Christmas with her husband and kids on a skiing trip abroad. She was previously torn apart between celebrating the day with her disgraced father or the the rest of the royal family, but she then took a midway. However, her choice will likely upset the King. "King Charles will definitely be sad that Beatrice will miss the celebrations. He's extremely fond of his niece, and I'm sure he would have wanted to spend time with her over the holidays after such a difficult time," shared Charles's former butler, Grant Harrold.
In a conversation with Reach PLC, the former royal employee further added, "He's well aware that she's been caught up in the upset of everything that's happened with her father, despite it having nothing to do with her. However, he will support her decision and will just want her to do what's best for her." The tradition of celebrating Christmas in Sandringham was very dear to the late Queen and even to Charles, but now the situations are changing.
While before no one could easily pass the invitation to Sandringham, things have now relaxed a lot. "The late Queen liked the family to be all together at Christmas. It was almost an unwritten rule that everyone had to be there. But this shows how it's a very different setup now Charles is King, it's not as rigid as it once was," explained Harrold. However, the former royal employee is also certain that Beatrice will definitely call home and greet her family.
"I'm sure she'll have a wonderful time. I'm sure they will still send messages or do voice calls on the day. Princess Beatrice is very close to her uncle, so I'm sure they will still speak to wish each other a happy Christmas on the big day," he said. The royal family will miss the princess and her sense of humor, but at this moment, she needed the mountain retreat. "Kate and William will miss her as well, as they're very close. But I'm sure the King and the rest of the family will be happy that Beatrice is doing what she wants and what's right for her family this year," added Harrold.