Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor could yet have a starring role in the
Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations and in a way that won’t leave
a smile on anyone’s faces.
The disgraced brother of
King Charles, who lost all his titles just weeks ago after
further scandal, has become the main butt of a very British festive
tradition: the Christmas cracker joke.
And two mottos featuring him have been named as the best of 2025
meaning they might just end up in a cracker being pulled at the
royal dining table this Christmas.
The former prince is the focus of several swipes in the annual
competition run by TV channel U&Gold (known before as
Comedy Gold). It asks viewers every year to come up with Christmas
cracker jokes and this year’s winner is all about Andrew.
The top cracker motto reads ”why is Andrew not writing any
Christmas books?” and the punchline is ”he hasn’t got any
titles!”
It’s the work of Ben Smith from Chelmsford in Essex. Andrew lost
all his royal titles after King Charles removed his HRH and Prince
and asked the Lord Chancellor to remove his other titles – Duke of
York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh – from the Roll of
Peerage. Since then, the eighth in line to the throne has been
known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.
Another joke in the top five is also about Andrew. This one
placed fourth on the list and starts ”what do Andrew
Mountbatten-Windsor and a snowman have in common?” The answer
”they’re both out in the cold”.
The Royal Family most likely already have their crackers lined
up but given Andrew’s dominance of the jokes now being told this
festive season, he may end up having an unexpected presence at the
Christmas dinner table at Sandringham.
It was already known that he wouldn’t be at the Royal Family’s
Christmas celebrations at the Norfolk residence even though he is
due to move into a grace and favour home on the estate there in the
New Year having surrendered his lease on the thirty room Royal
Lodge at Windsor at the same time that he lost his titles.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to
gather the Windsors at Sandringham where they will celebrate
Christmas Day together. It’s not yet known whether Andrew’s two
daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will join
them.
The princesses didn’t join the Royal Family at the recent
Christmas carol service organised by the Princess of Wales at
Westminster Abbey despite both having attended previously.
There was also no sign of any member of the wider Royal Family
at the christening of Princess Beatrice’s daughter, Athena, at St.
James’ Palace in London just a few days ago. However, the baptism
was held privately and guests were only seen as they attended a pub
lunch afterwards when only Beatrice, Eugenie and their closest
friends and family were seen.
Princess Beatrice joined the Royal Family for Christmas in 2024
after cancelling her plans to travel to Italy on doctor’s advice as
she entered the final stages of her pregnancy with Athena.
Princess Eugenie didn’t attend as she was with the family of her
husband, Jack Brooksbank. Neither Andrew Mountbatten Windsor nor
his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, were at the royal Christmas
celebrations in 2024.