Who will be attending King Charles' Christmas dinner as Andrew and Fergie 'uninvited'
Questions have been raised over which senior royals will join King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Sandringham for dinner on Christmas Day, after reports that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson have been barred.
For those in need of a reminder, the man formerly known as Prince Andrew was stripped of both his final military titles and his dukedom back in October, in light of damning new allegations regarding his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In the same announcement, the King also evicted his brother, 65, from Royal Lodge, where he and ex-wife Ferguson have lived since 2004.
Andrew's princedom was revoked less than a month later, ahead of the posthumous release of alleged victim Virginia Giuffre's harrowing memoir, in which she detailed sexual encounters with father-of-two which allegedly occurred when she was a minor.
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Ferguson, 66 - who shares daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, with Andrew - also faced similar disgrace following the emergence of a 2011 email she sent to Epstein, in which she described the paedophile as both a 'supreme' and 'dear, dear friend'.
As a result, she was forced to surrender her 'Duchess of York' title, which she'd previously obtained despite the pair's 1996 divorce.
More recently, palace insiders reportedly confirmed that neither Andrew nor Ferguson would be invited to spend Christmas at Sandringham with the monarch, raising questions as to who would be in attendance.
Firstly, as heirs to the British throne, the Prince and Princess of Wales are expected to rock up to the royal residence, along with their three children - Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and seven-year-old Prince Louis.
The King's youngest sibling, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie Wessex (the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh) are also expected to join the soiree, along with their children Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex.
Despite their parents not having received invites this year, it is likely that Beatrice and Eugenie will attend with their children, given that they attended last week's annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace without them.
As a reminder, the former shares two daughters, Sienna, four, and Athena, 11 months, with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, whilst the latter is mother to two sons, August, four, and Ernest, one, with other-half Jack Brooksbank.
It is also expected that the Princess Royal - or, Princess Anne - will be in attendance on the 25th, with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.
Her daughter Zara Tindall, is also expected on the big day with her rugby star husband Mike Tindall and their three children. It is not yet known whether her son, Peter Phillips, will join the group.
In terms of those also left out in the cold, we have the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It's important to note, however, that their omission from the festive celebration is a choice.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as working royals in 2020, citing severe mistreatment from the former's high-profile family, before fleeing the UK for Montecito, California.
The couple have celebrated Christmas there for the last five years, with son Prince Archie, six, and daughter Princess Lilibet, four.
In terms of what they'll be missing in Harry's home country, royal author Robert Jobson told HELLO!, there's a super strict timetable, and multiple outfit changes are expected over the three-day celebration.
"There's an unspoken rule for guests: do not arrive late. There is no grace period," he explained.
"After completing the odd custom, dating back to Edward VII, of being weighed on antique jockey's scales, guests are on the clock.
"They change for a formal lunch, served by royal staff in the dining room. Afterwards, most go on an afternoon walk – one of the few moments when the schedule loosens up. But even then, they are on a timer.
"By 5pm, everyone must be back for afternoon tea."
Topics: King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Royal Family, Prince Andrew, UK News, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Princess Beatrice
Rhianna Benson