Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie rejoined the royal family at the annual early Christmas lunch, with a royal expert indicating that at least one subject was firmly off the tableJennifer Newton and Georgia Burns Trainee Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer
11:02, 20 Dec 2025
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are facing some difficult choices when it comes to Christmas, a royal expert says(Image: GettyImages)
After missing Kate Middleton’s annual carol service, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie received a warm welcome at the Royal Family’s early Christmas gathering at Buckingham Palace. The sisters, aged 37 and 35, smiled as they arrived together at the gates of the Palace for what is one of the royal family’s long-standing festive traditions.
Their appearance at the early Christmas lunch followed an incredibly challenging period for the young royals, whose parents Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson have faced ongoing scrutiny linked to the scandal surrounding their relationship with the late sex offender and trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
But former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bold told the Mirror she believed King Charles is following in his late Mother’s footsteps in the way he maintains relationships and shows support for the young royal sisters. She explained: “Whatever you think of their parents, Beatrice and Eugenie have not been accused of doing anything wrong.
“They have had to watch their parents being humiliated and publicly criticised over many years, and yet they have remained close to the rest of the royal family. Their Grannie, the late Queen, showed them great affection and the King also seems keen to protect them.
“So I think everyone would have been very welcoming at the Palace lunch. I was pleased to see them looking so bright and happy.”
Discussion surrounding Andrew, who was stripped of his royal titles and his right to live at Royal Lodge in October, has dominated royal coverage in recent months. The renewed focus follows further revelation about Jeffrey Epstein and growing pressures on US President Donald Trump to release government files related to the investigation into Epstein’s crimes.
The King’s younger brother has also come under sharp criticism from US legislators, who descried his response as “silence” after he declined to undertake a “transcribed interview” about his long-standing relationship with Epstein.
Sarah and Andrew are off the guestlist at Sandringham after a drama-filled year(Image: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
The request was made as part of an inquiry into how the case was handled, and Andrew has consistently denied all allegations against him.
However as it continues to make headlines around the world, Jennie believes the topic of Andrew and Sarah would not have been discussed at the family lunch this week.
“I imagine the ‘elephant’ in the room would be any discussion about Andrew and Sarah,” she stated. “That would just be too awkward for all involved.”
Prince William was behind the wheel of the Windsor’s family car(Image: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
She also said Prince William, who attended the lunch with his wife Princess Kate, and their three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis – would have “particular sympathy” for what Beatrice and Eugenie are going through due to his experience with his own parents.
“He had to endure endless publicity about his parents as he was growing up. Of course the headlines then were for very different reasons: the disintegration of his parents’ marriage. But it was still traumatic for a young boy. You have to feel for these young women.”
The festive gathering at the Palace on Tuesday is a long-established tradition for the royal family and typically takes place in the week leading up to Christmas Day, with around 70 of the monarch’s relatives invited.
It offers family members an opportunity to mark the season in advance, as not all attend the main celebrations at Sandringham, including the Christmas morning church service and lunch.
The big question is where the pair will spend Christmas Day and who with(Image: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
According to Jennie, the key question now is where Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, together with their children, will spend Christmas Day itself.
She added: “Christmas is all about family: so where do they go? Do they show loyalty to their parents – and will their parents even be together on Christmas Day?
“Do they join the rest of the royals at Sandringham? Or do they spend the festivities with their own little families and their in-laws? In the end, Christmas is all about children and making it special for them. So I suspect Beatrice and Eugenie will go wherever they feel their little ones will have the most magical time.”