Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children will not be joining the traditional Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.
The decision is reportedly motivated by their desire to spend the holidays at their home in Norfolk, and does not come as a surprise for the rest of the royal family due to the more than 100 miles separating the couple from London.
Highlights
- William and Kate skip traditional pre-Christmas Buckingham lunch
- Concerns about the King and Queen's health, as well as Prince Andrew's connections to an alleged Chinese spy cast a shadow over the festivities
- King Charles has been battling cancer since February of this year
- Queen Camilla's chest infection evolved into a case of pneumonia in November
William and Kate were not the only couple to cancel their attendance, however, as Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson were also absent, presumably due to the former’s connection to an alleged Chinese spy.
King Charles will welcome Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, who arrived at the Palace today (December 19).
The meal also comes at a time when both monarchs have been recovering from serious illnesses: Charles from cancer, and Camilla from pneumonia.
Prince William and Kate Middleton will not be joining their family's traditional Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace
Image credits: The Prince and Princess of Wales
The luncheon has been a longstanding tradition of the crown, first established by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Each year, a large group of royal family members gather at Buckingham Palace for a festive meal before moving their celebrations to Sandringham Estate, the family’s private country retreat.
It’s expected that William and Kate will then join the rest of their family at Sandringham, and attend church together at St. Mary Magdalene.
This year’s celebrations have drawn extra attention due to two issues affecting the royals. On one hand, both King Charles and Queen Camilla endured troublesome health diagnoses and have been limiting their public appearances as they recover.
On the other, Prince Andrew’s absence invites scrutiny as his alleged connections to Yang Tengbo, a suspected Chinese agent by British authorities, are being investigated. The prince has been a controversial figure since 2019, when his friendship with disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein surfaced.
King Charles has been battling an undisclosed form cancer since February 2024, causing a temporary pause in his public duties
76-year-old King Charles, has been recovering after being diagnosed with a serious illness at the beginning of the year.
The crown revealed that Charles was suffering from a type of cancer but kept the nature of it private. However, they assured the public that it wasn't a case of prostate cancer. The diagnosis caused the monarch to take a temporary pause in his duties after the news was shared in February.
Image credits: The Prince and Princess of Wales
The King resumed his public duties at the end of April, taking the chance to visit a cancer treatment center alongside Queen Camilla.
While details surrounding the 76-year-old head of state's health have not been disclosed, Prince William recently said that his father is "fighting very hard" to keep the illness at bay.
Queen Camilla contracted pneumonia in November, an illness that can cause a significant reduction in quality of life for patients her age
Image credits: The Prince and Princess of Wales
77-year-old Queen Camilla, on the other hand, has caused concern after it was revealed that her chest infection—first announced by the palace on November 5—had developed into what was described as a “mild case of pneumonia” and was reportedly contracted after she toured Australia in October.
The Queen nevertheless assured citizens that she was on the mend but was still dealing with bouts of post-viral fatigue. Her condition led her to scale back her royal duties during Qatar’s recent state visit while she recovered.
Pneumonia is a complex illness that can range from mild symptoms to a potentially life-threatening condition. A 2020 study conducted by the University of Barcelona, however, showed that patients aged 65 and older have an approximate 70% chance of surviving.
The illness is nevertheless associated with a 16% reduction in quality of life during the post-discharge year among elderly patients, which means Camilla will have to be closely monitored even after she fully recovers.