William and Kate To Skip Christmas Lunch With King Charles Amid ‘Icy Moments’ In The Family
The festive season has arrived in Britain, but the mood inside Buckingham Palace appears anything but warm. Just as the Royal Family is expected to close ranks for its most traditional gathering, new reports suggest Prince William and Kate Middleton may once again be giving King Charles’ annual Christmas lunch a miss.
According to Rob Shuter’s ShuterScoop, the Prince and Princess of Wales are planning to step away from the King’s Christmas lunch at Sandringham following what has been described as months of strain behind the scenes. The report claims that a mix of “nonstop disagreements” and “icy moments” has pushed William toward a quieter celebration with Middleton’s family instead of joining the wider royal gathering. A source told the publication, “William and the family will dutifully go to church with big smiles plastered on, but they’re not expected for lunch at the big house. It’s been an extremely difficult year for William and Catherine.”
Adding another layer to the tension is a separate claim that King Charles may be considering inviting his brother, the former Prince Andrew, to the Christmas lunch. ShuterScoop reported that such a move is on the table, even as the disgraced royal continues to remain largely sidelined following years of controversy. The Royal Family traditionally gathers at Sandringham for the holidays, where the disgraced brother of the monarch is reportedly being eased further out of public view. The possibility of his inclusion has raised eyebrows.
In many ways, this friction is not a sudden development. The relationship between the King and the heir has long been described as strained. Tom Sykes, royal correspondent for The Daily Beast, has previously pointed to the deep-rooted distance between Charles and William, writing that the two “do not meet informally as a rule.” During the royal family’s Balmoral break earlier this summer, they reportedly spent little quality time together. Instead of private conversations, Charles is said to have “withdrawn to the privacy of his own home, Birkhall,” avoiding one-on-one interaction with his son. Sykes added that “the vast majority of their communication” now takes place through private secretaries rather than directly.
According to the report, this emotional gap did not form overnight. William’s experience of his parents’ painful marriage breakdown, coupled with Charles’ well-publicised affair with Camilla, is said to have left lasting scars. Sykes also cited claims that Charles was a “poor parent” who was “often absent and remains distant from his Wales grandchildren.” Those unresolved wounds, the report suggests, continue to shape how William views both his father and the monarchy he is expected to inherit.
This is also not the first time that William and Kate have been linked to plans for a “separate” Christmas. Last year, reports suggested the couple quietly hosted their own gathering at home. At the time, it was even described as a “rival” celebration with a noticeably more “middle-class” feel. A friend told The Daily Beast, “There's always been a slightly covert, rival Christmas party at [William and Kate's] house, but it’s going to be much more obvious this year. If they post pictures, it’ll be an official coup attempt.”