Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have stepped out together to attend King Charles III’s annual Christmas lunch, making a telling move as they continue to grapple with the difficult ‘Family vs Firm’ dilemma created by their parents.
The York sisters, whose parents, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Sarah ‘Fergie’ Ferguson, were stripped of their titles and banished from royal life over their ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, were spotted arriving at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday for the traditional Yuletime lunch.
They appeared in high spirits as they arrived by car, with Beatrice, 37, behind the wheel and Eugenie, 35, in the passenger seat, wearing festive candy cane earrings.
Other senior royals in attendance included the Prince and Princess of Wales, joined by their three children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven, as well as Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their daughter Lady Louise Windsor, the Duke of Kent, and Lady Sarah Chatto.
It is understood Eugenie’s husband, Jack Brooksbank, also attended the event.
The King traditionally hosts the family meal ahead of the royal household’s move to Sandringham for Christmas, and it is believed his nieces and their young families have also been invited to spend Christmas Day with the rest of the Firm.
However, it remains unclear whether they will accept, as sources close to the York sisters say they are facing a growing “tug-of-love” dilemma over where their loyalties lie.
“They (Beatrice and Eugenie) are struggling with Christmas,” a source told The Mail UK.
“Overall it falls to the princesses to soothe family divisions.”
The source added that Beatrice, in particular, is feeling the strain, believing she “has to be at three places at once” on Christmas Day.
According to the source, her preferred option would be staying at her new Cotswolds home with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, their children, and her 66-year-old mother.
However, Beatrice also feels “diplomatically obligated” to be seen alongside the wider royal family at the King’s Norfolk estate.
She is also said to feel compelled to spend what could be a final Christmas at Royal Lodge with her father, the former Prince Andrew.
“Unless she makes a decision to pick one side and one side only, she will spend a lot of time in the car,” the source said.
While the princesses were attending the King’s Christmas lunch, their father was spotted riding alone on horseback in the pouring rain near Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
Andrew and Fergie have until January 31 to vacate the property, with Andrew expected to relocate to a farmhouse at Sandringham, and Fergie reportedly “considering her options” in London.
Although the pair have been banned from public royal family events, it is understood they both attended the christening of Beatrice’s youngest daughter, Athena Rose, at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace on December 12.
Sources say Beatrice was forced to postpone the christening initially due to the ongoing scandal surrounding her parents.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.skynews.com.au ’
