Royal family to celebrate Christmas Day together at Sandringham

The royal family are expected to celebrate Christmas Day together at Sandringham.

The Prince of Wales divulged last year he was spending the day with 45 members of his family “all in one room”.

But off the guest list is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, with the former prince banished from the royal family and stripped of his titles over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew has recently made a slew of headlines following the latest release of so-called “Epstein files”. He vehemently denies any wrongdoing.

The royal family usually walk to church on Christmas morning and enjoy a traditional turkey roast with all the trimmings, before sitting down to watch the King’s Christmas broadcast on television.

Last year, Charles used his Christmas address to pay tribute to the “selfless” doctors and nurses who provided “strength, care and comfort” during cancer treatment for him and the Princess of Wales.

Their Christmas Day celebrations come after the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte’s pre-recorded Christmas piano duet aired.

The mother and daughter sat together to play a piece they know well by Scottish composer Erland Cooper, for Kate’s Christmas carol concert.

Kate and Charlotte’s piano performance was for the Together at Christmas concert, held at Westminster Abbey on December 5, and was pre-recorded last week so did not feature at the live event – but it was aired as part of the ITV1 screening of the service on Christmas Eve.

The Waleses are spending the festive season together, but will visit the Norfolk royal residence on Christmas Day.

The family-of-five experienced a major change just a few weeks ago when they moved into their eight-bedroom “forever home”, Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park.

The change is seen as a fresh start for the Waleses after Kate’s recovery from cancer, which she announced at the start of 2025, following what William branded a “brutal” 2024.

Elsewhere, the outgoing leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, is to give a midnight mass homily.

He is expected to tell the Westminster cathedral congregation: “We are without composure, often sensing desolation and dismay. Here we find our consolation and reassurance in the Lord.

“Every day we face stories of increasing division in our society. Here, in him, we are given the source and pathway to cohesion and unity in our human family.”