This week, Prince William revealed that he is “looking forward” to Christmas, as it is the only time of year when 45 members of the Windsor family gathered in the same room. The festivals, as they have been for four decades, are celebrated at Sandringham House and the traditions have remained virtually intact since the era of Elizabeth II. However, during the reign of Charles III, the list of guests who could participate in the celebrations was made more flexible, and they were only open to the public with traditional religious services on Christmas Day. In the middle of the countdown, we review who managed to get an invitation which, until two years ago, was limited to those with Windsor blood or those who entered the royalty through marriage.
A hard core of seven people
King Charles and Camilla and the Princess of Wales, along with their children George (11), Charlotte (9) and Louis (6) make up the front row of the institution and are the hard core that meets at the institution’s private estates. Sovereign of Norfolk.
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© Getty ImagesTen who accompany the king’s beloved sister
Princess Anne, an important figure in her brother’s reign, and her husband, Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Lawrence, never miss a Christmas celebration. Princess Anne’s two children are also not with their respective families: Zara and Mike Tyndall, who made up the couple with their three children Mia (10), Lena (6) and Lucas (3); and Peter Phillips, who is usually accompanied by his daughters Savannah (13) and Isla (12).
© GTRESThe question is that in this time of relaxation of the rules, we will see Peter Phillips with Harriet Spurling, the girlfriend he has presented at past Ascot races. During the reign of Elizabeth II, the rule was clear: if you weren’t married, you weren’t invited. This rule was exceptionally broken at Christmas 2017 to include Meghan Markle, as her family was in the US and she was in London to become the next British duchess. However, it must be remembered that Princess Anne’s children do not have royal titles or represent the establishment, so they have always been independent. An example of this is that Peter Phillips attended Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee celebrations with his ex-girlfriend.
Four from the Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Edward and his wife, Duchess Sophie, who discreetly became another key figure with his features, played a particularly relevant role when Charles III and the Princess of Wales had to retire, taking on a public agenda with much older volumes. Bet on husband and cause that was from the margin. They will be accompanied by their two children, Lady Louise, already 21, and James, Earl of Wessex, 16.
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© Getty ImagesHouse York: Nine members and growing
Since 2019, Prince Andrew has been an uncomfortable guest at any party outside of official life, but has been present in family life, despite his conflict with his brother King Charles III over his refusal to move his official residence from Royal Lodge to Frogmore House, much smaller and maintained. Cheaper. Since 2019, Andrew has not held any public event or private job. However, due to the affection both Charles III and the Prince of Wales have for their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Prince Andrew still has a place at the table. In 2022, the invitation was extended to Sarah Ferguson, which was unthinkable under Elizabeth II’s rule, since they had been divorced since the 1990s, and later, in 2023, it went further and Sarah Ferguson attended the service, the only public event of the entire Christmas.
© Getty ImagesPrincess Beatrice, who is pregnant, has never been missing, along with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and their 3-year-old daughter Sienna. In addition, it is possible that they will also bring Wolfie, the eight-year-old son Eduardo had at the time of his first marriage, who is part of other events such as family dates in Windsor and the Christmas carol concert hosted by Kate Middleton. .
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© Getty ImagesEugenia de York and Jack Brooksbank, along with their sons August, 3, and Ernest, 18 months, complete the York “team.” They never missed this family event; However, a British media outlet, Express, claims that Princess Eugenio has received an invitation from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to celebrate Christmas with them in California. It must be remembered that Eugenia and Harry have always been very close and she is the only Windsor known to have visited her new life at Montecito.
© Getty ImagesEugenia and Jack may receive an invitation from Harry and Meghan to spend Christmas in California
Queen Camilla has nine relatives
Since Charles III came to the throne, he wanted to give Queen Camilla the place she had been denied for thirty years. Since they married in 2005, Camilla, as heiress and consort of the Duchess of Cornwall, has been able to spend Christmas with the Windsors at Sandringham. However, this alienated him from his own family: siblings, children and grandchildren, who had no place in royal celebrations under the parameters of previous reigns.
© GTRESFrom 2022, and slowly, everything is changing. Both Charles and Camilla wanted the Queen’s children to be part of the event; For this reason, they were present at the funeral of Isabel II and had a prominent place at the coronation of Charles III.
This year’s big novelty could be Parker-Bowles
Camilla’s own son, Tom Parker-Bowles, has confirmed that he will be spending Christmas with his mum for the first time in many years, which they are both particularly excited about. Tom has two children, Lola, 17, and Freddie, 14. Camilla, on the other hand, has daughter Laura Lopes, who can accompany her husband Harry and their children Eliza, 15, and twins Gus and Louis, 13. the old
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Nor can we forget Annabelle Elliott, who is not Parker-Bowles, but the closest person to the Queen. She is her sister, maid of honor and a member of the entourage that accompanies her on official events and trips. Her husband died in 2023, making her even more united and present in her sister’s life than they always had been.
The King’s Cousins: Seven descendants of Princess Margaret
Elizabeth II had an only sister, Princess Margaret, who died in 2002. She had two children who were always part of Windsor family life: Lady Sarah Chatto (with her husband Daniel and their two sons Arthur and Samuel) and David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, who has two children, Lady Margaret, 22, and Charles, 25. .
© Getty ImagesPrince William has so far named 45 relatives during his public appearances in Bulford, Wiltshire, and he will be the 46th guest. and the Princess of Wales’ brothers – attended religious services at St Mary Magdalene’s church. They are part of the Princess of Wales’ life and have been very present this year supporting her daughter’s recovery. Moreover, it is common for them to visit this parish during Christmas. Big absentees again this year are the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their two children, Princesses Archie and Lilybet.
