Why Camilla’s Children Won’t Spend Christmas With the Royals at Sandringham This Year
Queen Camilla’s children, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, will reportedly skip the royal family’s Christmas celebrations this year. The duo joined the Windsors at Sandringham last December, their first time since their mom's wedding to the King. But this season, the siblings appear to have made alternative plans, stepping away from the royal spotlight despite last year’s warmly received appearance.
In an earlier interview with The Telegraph, Bowles had revealed that for the past decade and a half, he has been celebrating Christmas with his ex-wife, whom he divorced in 2018. "I go back to my ex-wife’s house, sit in my tracksuit bottoms, go to the pub while the beef’s in, then try to get my children to watch The Wild Geese. Classic. So this (celebrating with the royals) would be a bit different,” he had shared. Last year was an exception, which saw him bringing his teenagers, Lola and Frederick, to Norfolk for the royal festivities. This time, however, the familiar traditions seem to be calling him back.
In a conversation with the Daily Mail, Bowles revealed that while his mom, Camilla, begged him to join in the celebration last year, this year will be a different story, and he knew about it since the beginning. "I’m not [spending Christmas at Sandringham]. Nor is my sister. It’ll be every other year, one year on, one year off," he confessed to the outlet. According to Us Weekly, King Charles wants this year's celebration to be intimate and extra special as he fears this might be his last, given his deteriorating health.
“Charles prioritizes duty, but he’s also a family man who knows his time is precious. He wants a special last Christmas in case it’s his last," an insider argued. Bowles, later joked during his interview that he would be back on his ex-wife's sofa celebrating the holidays, but also clarified that the invitation to celebrate Christmas with the royals has always been on the table. Last year, his mom was keen on having her kids join, given the rough year she had had following Charles's cancer diagnosis. "My mum said, ‘I’d love you to come, I haven’t had Christmas with you for a long time,'" Bowles revealed.
"The older you get, the more conscious you become of mortality, especially with illnesses and the rest of it," he added. Bowles holds no regret about having to skip the royal Christmas celebration this year and looks forward to the holidays with his kids.
The royals, on the other hand, are preparing for the big day. According to insiders quoted by Page Six, Prince William and Princess Kate, and their kids, are sure to arrive at the Norfolk estate, and even the Princess of Wales’ parents will be joining in. Princess Anne and her family and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and their kids will also be in attendance. Although Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson are not invited, their daughters are expected to attend the celebration with their families.