Featured Image Credit: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images/Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images
Topics: Royal Family, Prince William, UK News
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Royal Family, Prince William, UK News
Spectators of the Royal Family have been wondering how Prince William might feel knowing that his 'secret' step-sister will be attending this year's Christmas celebrations.
The news comes after William and Kate reportedly opted not to attend this year's Christmas lunch, instead deciding for a low-key build up to Christmas with their children - Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
For decades, the ruling monarch has invited fellow high-profile members of the institution to a Christmas lunch at Sandringham, a royal estate in Norfolk, to celebrate the big day, following a service at St Mary Magdalene Church, where they greet members of the public.
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For the third year running, King Charles III will host this year's festivities - following the 2022 passing of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II - along with his wife, Queen Camilla.
Since taking to the throne, however, the first two years saw Charles hosting in Windsor Castle, as opposed to Sandringham, and this year, he'll welcome his family to his principal residence, Buckingham Palace.
Whilst it's long been expected that his youngest son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, wouldn't be in attendance with their children, Archie and Lillibet, and Prince Andrew is also understood not to be attending following news of his reported link to an alleged Chinese spy, as per the BBC.
According to reports, the Princess of Wales also 'refused' to invited Prince Andrew to her annual carol ceremony last week, which is televised on ITV in the run-up to Christmas.
Followers of the family were initially concerned that William and Kate wouldn't be attending the celebration after they'd failed to attend the Christmas lunch that Charles usually hosts.
The future King let slip of the news during an appearance in Wiltshire for the families of the 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment last week, telling attendees (via The Mirror): "We'll be in Norfolk, at Sandringham. We'll be 45 for Christmas. It won't be quiet, it will be noisy."
It is understood that they'll be joining the rest of the family on the big day, however, along with Prince William's 'secret' step-sister, Laura Lopes - who doesn't technically harbour a royal role.
The 46-year-old is the daughter of Queen Camilla from her first marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles, and the youngster sister of Tom Parker Bowles, 49.
This marks the second year that both Laura and Tom have received an invite to royal Christmas festivities, Sky News Australia reports.
Apparently, after Camilla was officiated into the family, she and William allegedly endured a turbulent relationship, with royal commentator Katie Nicholl claiming in her 2021 book: "William and Laura used to have terrible fights over who was to blame for their broken homes.
"William would blame Camilla for all the hurt she had caused his mother [Princess Diana], which would send Laura into a rage. Laura was not having any of it.
"She would take a hard line and fire back at William, ‘Your father has ruined my life'."
It is also believed that around 45 other guests will flock down to the palace - including Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.