Prince William's step-brother admits he's choosing ex-wife over the royal family this Christmas
Topics: Royal Family, Christmas, UK News
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Topics: Royal Family, Christmas, UK News
Another royal has joined the seemingly ever-growing list of those not spending Christmas with King Charles and Queen Camilla this year.
Already, it's been confirmed that the monarch's somewhat-estranged youngest son Prince Harry - who resigned from his official duties and fled the UK in 2020 - would be remaining at home in the States with wife Meghan Markle.
They'll be joined by their two children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.
Royal experts also understand that the man formerly referred to as Prince Andrew would be kept away from Sandringham this festive season, given the recent removal of his military titles, Princedom and residence at Royal Lodge.
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The decision was made by his brother, King Charles III in light of damning new revelations over his relationship with late sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, as referenced in alleged victim Virginia Giuffe's posthumously-released memoir.
Andrew's ex-wife - with whom he has resided in his former royal residence since 2004 - is also understood to be barred from the festivities, after it emerged that she'd sent emails to Epstein in 2011, describing the paedophile as both a 'supreme friend' and 'dear friend'.
As we say, another individual set to be absent from the royal family's grand Christmas get-together is Tom Parker-Bowles - the stepbrother of Princes William and Harry, and son of Queen Camila from her previous marriage.
By his own admission, TPB will be spending 25 December with his ex-wife, Sara, and their two teenage children, Lola and Freddy.
It's not just Camilla's son that will leave an empty space around the dinner table this winter, however, but her daughter, Laura Lopes.
"I’m not [spending Christmas at Sandringham]. Nor is my sister," Tom told the Daily Mail this week, before going on to give an insight into how his blended family prefer to spend the holiday season.
"It’ll be every other year, one year on, one year off."
The food writer went on to joke: "It’s back to the sofa at my ex-wife's."
Asked how he spent Christmas last year, Tom revealed that he joined his mother and stepfather at Sandringham for the first time - the first since King Charles announced he'd been diagnosed with cancer.
"My mum said, ‘I’d love you to come, I haven’t had Christmas with you for a long time,'" he told the publication.
Tom added that he 'genuinely know[s] nothing about [how they spend it, beyond knowing] there’s turkey and sprouts and church - and I have to bring a suit and a dinner jacket."
When it comes to his and ex-wife Sara's amicable relationship, TPB previously claimed he has his parents to thank, with Camilla and Andrew Parker-Bowles having remained on good terms since their 1995 divorce.
"My mother and father are still great friends, and we will go down [to his] on December 27 and my mother will sometimes come," Tom told PEOPLE previously. "It is something to work towards.
"It’s a maturity that is a great thing if - despite a marriage sometimes not working - you can keep it together for the sake of the children and the sake of each other, then it’s a very good thing."