Last year, then-Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were banned from Christmas at Sandringham at the last minute. It was something to do with Andrew’s close associations with a Chinese spy, and it was the last straw for King Charles, apparently. While Andrew and Fergie were banned, Charles made sure to let Princess Eugenie and Beatrice know that they were still welcome to come to Sandringham. They made other plans at first, but Beatrice ended up changing her plans to spend the holiday in Italy. She was pregnant at the time and she was told not to fly, so she ended up at Sandringham with Edo Mapelli Mozzi and Edo’s son Wolfie. Eugenie was in the wind, likely spending the holiday in Portugal or with her husband’s family. So what’s the plan for the York princesses this year? They still haven’t made up their minds.
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie face a ‘tug-of-love’ dilemma after being invited by the King to spend Christmas at Sandringham, The Mail on Sunday has learned. With their disgraced parents banished into exile, the sisters are being pulled in different directions by their divided family’s competing demands. Sources say the situation has become a logistical and emotional nightmare for the siblings. Both women remain loyal to the King and to the institution, and they are equally devoted to their parents.
A source said yesterday that Beatrice is feeling particularly under pressure as she feels she ‘has to be in three places at once’ on Christmas Day. Staying at her new Cotswolds home with interior designer husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi their children and her mother is thought to be her preferred option. At the same time, she naturally feels diplomatically obliged to be seen with the rest of the royals at the King’s Norfolk estate. But the source said she also felt compelled to spend one final Christmas at Royal Lodge with her father, despite his fall from grace over the Epstein scandal.
The source added: ‘Unless she makes a decision to pick one side and one side only, she will spend a lot of time in the car. Overall it falls to the princesses to soothe family divisions. They are struggling with Christmas.’
Using a royal helicopter to shuttle from venue to venue was never an option, not least because it would be certain to be a PR disaster.
Meanwhile, Princess Eugenie, who lives in Portugal, is said to feel slightly less conflicted. The source added: ‘Eugenie was tempted to stay in Portugal with her family and husband Jack Brooksbank. She is so settled there, far from all the drama.’
Christmas, traditionally a season that brings the Windsors together under one roof, now threatens to expose every fault line.
B&E really are relatable – tons of people feel like they have to be in multiple places for the holidays, and tons of people try to divide their Christmases between two families or more. I think Eugenie has the best plan – avoid the drama and stay in Portugal. Beatrice should also opt out of all royal shenanigans and spend a restful holiday at her own home with her kids. If she wants to see Andrew and Fergie, maybe she could invite them to stay with her. Especially for the royals who are more on the periphery, Christmas at Sandringham must be hellish for young parents. Avoid it at all costs!
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