Over the Thanksgiving holiday here in America, I think Buckingham Palace’s comms office did some extensive briefings about what the rest of 2024 will look like for the left-behind royals. That would explain Richard Eden’s very strange story about how courtiers insist that they will welcome back the Sussexes any day now. It would also explain why the rota is breathlessly reporting something which was widely assumed: that the Princess of Wales will go to Sandringham for Christmas. Per the Mirror, “Kate Middleton makes huge Christmas decision with William and Charles after cancer fight.” The “huge decision” is that she’ll have lunch with the royals on Christmas Day, I guess?
Kate and William have decided to join the King for Christmas as the royals unite following the family’s year-long cancer battle. The festive celebration will mark the first time the royal family have come together en-masse after a tumultuous year for the monarch and the Princess of Wales, who were diagnosed with the disease within days of each other. King Charles and Kate even spent time in the same hospital at the same time over several days in January. The King was said to have ‘toddled’ down the hospital corridor to comfort his beloved daughter-in-law as they both recovered from surgeries.
Royal sources have revealed how the King is ‘delighted’ to have the Prince and Princess and their three children – Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine and Prince Louis, six – confirmed for Christmas and has already been making plans to celebrate with them and his extended family after such a difficult year.
The King has this week been preparing his Sandringham home ready to welcome the family to Norfolk for the festive holidays. Royal sources revealed how Charles has been touring the estate and main house this week, busy liaising with staff about Christmas plans. The King returned to London briefly on Tuesday to continue his weekly treatment plan as well as presenting credentials to foreign ambassadors and high commissioners at Buckingham Palace. But he swiftly returned to Sandringham on Wednesday to carry on with his Christmas planning.
A royal insider said: “The King is embracing the Christmas period already and really getting into the spirit. Staff who have seen him this week remarked how happy and healthy he was looking.”
Other family members expected to attend include the King’s embattled brother Prince Andrew, despite being exiled from official royal duties in 2019 amid his association with the late paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. Sources suggest the King has underlined his commitment to having the family united, especially over the Christmas period. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their two children, Lady Louise, 20 and James, Earl of Wessex, 16, are also expected to join. The King will host the traditional Christmas Eve black tie dinner where the family exchange presents, normally with a comical slant.
This reminds me of that weird story in October, about how the Windsors are not “pressuring” Kate to join them for Christmas. Again, it seems like everyone is writing and speaking about Kate like she’s already separated from her husband, and like she needs to confirm her appearances separately from William. I guess people really were waiting for this confirmation that Kate is going to spend the holiday in Norfolk with the Windsors. Although I imagine Carole and Michael Middleton will be camped out at Anmer Hall, if they aren’t already. That would have been Kate’s only other option – spend Christmas in Bucklebury, at Middleton Manor. But I get the feeling that if Kate wanted a Bucklebury Christmas, William would have had the kids in Norfolk regardless.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
-
- Catherine The Princess of Wales attends the The King’s Birthday Parade at Horse Guards Parade, London, England, UK on Saturday 15 June, 2024.,Image: 881844189, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
-
- London, UK. 15th June 2024. Catherine, the Princess of Wales rides in a carriage with her children and waves at the crowds. The annual Trooping the Colour ceremonial procession for the King’s Birthday makes its way from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade for proceedings there, and back to the Palace for a balcony appearance. Catherine, the Princess of Wales, is making her first public appearance this year.,Image: 881847743, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Imageplotter / Avalon
-
- Prince George, Prince Louis, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte on the palace balcony following Trooping the Colour on Saturday 15 June 2024 at Buckingham Palace, London. Trooping the Colour is a traditional parade held to mark the British Sovereign’s official birthday. This year the colours were trooped by The Irish Guards. .,Image: 881850912, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights – Julie Edwards/Avalon.Red, Model Release: no, Credit line: Julie Edwards / Avalon
-
- Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince Louis at theTrooping of the Colour on Saturday 15 June 2024 at Buckingham Palace, London,Image: 882443824, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: celebrityphotos uk / Avalon
-
- Prince William of Wales, Catherine Princess of Wales, Prince George, Prince Louis arrive at Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Colour 2024 ceremony, marking the monarch’s official birthday in London. Featuring: William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales with Prince Louis and Prince George Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
-
- The Princess of Wales travels along The Mall to the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade, central London, to celebrate King Charles III’s official birthday on her first official engagement since her diagnosis for cancer. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
- Trooping the Colour 2024 ceremony, marking the monarch’s official birthday. Featuring: Prince George, Prince Louis, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, King Charles III Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: Cover Images
-
- Trooping the Colour 2024 ceremony, marking the monarch’s official birthday in London. Featuring: Prince George, Prince William, Prince Louis, Catherine Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: Cover Images
-
- Trooping the Colour 2024 ceremony, marking the monarch’s official birthday. Featuring: Prince George, Prince William, Prince Louis, Catherine Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte Where: London, United Kingdom When: 15 Jun 2024 Credit: John Rainford/Cover Images
Charles did not t o d d l e down the corridor to see Kate they probably were never in the same hospital. Of course Andrew will be appearing in the walkabout
LOL at the mental picture of Charles “toddling” down the hall.
Oh, yes! With his hospital gown open to the back, his bum hanging out, yellow no-slip socks on his feet, wheeling his IV pole down the hall! 😂
@Mariana: ha! that was me recently, right down to the yellow no-slip socks! Although my nurse very kindly tied up the back of my gown & held it together as I walked to the restroom (that was pre-surgery).
Charles toddled down to see Kate just like Trump did more for the “blacks” than any other president.”
I’ll take things that never happened for $500 Alex!
@tessa whether he visited or not, they *were* in the same hospital briefly. The reported visit amidst hospital stays was even covered here.
https://www.celebitchy.com/854812/king_charles_checked_into_the_london_clinic_for_his_enlarged_prostate_procedure/
No proof either way. I am dubious they were in the same hospital.
They mean she wrangled an invite in order to keep the image that they are still married alive. No way Keen will NOT be at a big family event where she can lord it over everyone else. Am sure Ma is hoping for an invite to the big house, wonder if the Mids will get to go along to the church walk about.
She’ll do the walk then be sent back to anmer.
And if she should be caught slinking back to Anmer, it will be due to a very convenient intermittent cancer flare.
This Game of Thrones is comical. Usually by now at the Christmas season it’s “will the Sussexes or won’t they”. Now it’s Kate. Well, that’s what happens when a company slims down. The protagonist are closer to the top. Kate wanted all the attention, now she’s getting it. The good and the bad.
Must be nice to have houses and estates large enough that you need to “tour” them. Seems weird to act like Kate going is such big news after she released her “cancer free” video.
Can’t believe they exchange presents at a “black tie dinner”. Very weird family.
They should try matching pajamas. It’s way more fun.
Will she get a round of applause and will she attempt pda with huevo
The bitch doesn’t go anywhere she cant get a standing o 🙄
Does anyone really care what Can’t is or is not doing anymore. I know I don’t care. Theses two should just call it done and move forward with their separate lives.
Yes. I don’t think anyone lies on their deathbed thinking “I should have put more effort into pretending my awful marriage wasn’t over”.
Just call it a day already.
As long as these two aren’t stalking and trying to harm the Sussexes, I don’t care what they do either.
Nobody cares. The tabloids are spinning air and pretending its meringue.
Kate wasn’t going to Sandringham at first, now she is? Charles ordered Kate to show up for happy family image for the church walk. The Windsors have to keep up this charade.
Of course Mummy and Daddy will be there with her, aren’t they always? Also parading for the peasants on the church walk.
My guess is there were rumblings that Kate might spend Christmas with her parents this year.
The tabloids actually said, she and William will have a “quiet Christmas at home in Anmer Hall” just a few days ago. First “she will have a family Christmas with her parents”, then Anmer, now Sandringham. Seems the negotiations weren’t finished.
But she has spent Christmas with her parents every year. They stay at Amner Hall and William and Kate have never stayed at Sandringham overnight. Well Kate hasn’t. William may be at wood farm by now.
This is Chuck putting his food down on all that nonsense about the Wails modernizing Christmas this year by opening presents Christmas morning. It was so boring, we all forgot. Apparently Kate lost that round, lol.
I think its what Kaiser said in the post – Kate was angling for a Bucklebury Christmas this year and was ultimately shot down. She’ll do the Christmas walk as part of her negotiated appearances.
There was really no way around her doing the Christmas walk without increased speculation about separation. If she can go to Wimbledon, and can go to her Christmas concert, etc, she can do the Christmas walk.
And the children will be eating Christmas dinner with the servants.
So…
1) This isn’t the “first time the entire family has been en mase.” Did the Troopering the Colors just slip the minds of whoever wrote this?
2) So what happened to Mumblina and Willfool’s quiet Christmas to heal their marriage.
Y’all listen, I’ve said it once and will say it again and again for these people. “If you tell the truth, then you don’t need to have a good memory.” Once again someone, somewhere can’t keep the story straight.
They truly forget what they write & just assume we forget, too.
It’s so boring, I wish I could completely forget about these people.
Bea, Eugenie, etc weren’t at the Trooping. With the hyper focus on working royals there are very few full family events anymore.
The Mirror doesn’t know any more than we do. They make this stuff up for clicks.
I think this is more about having the Wales kids there at Christmas for the church walk, people haven’t seen them in ages and probably have more affinity for them than all the other royals combined.
@harla – ding ding ding we have a winner. The Rota will get yards of copy out of the kids
True. And avoid the “Where’s Kate?” questions that may “overshadow the event.”
How the tabloids royal media loves to exaggerate !!
Kate joining the Xmas lunch is a “huge decision ” . Any statements issued by the royals are declared “powerful statements”
Honestly, it’s one of my favorite things about the British rags. How they use the most ridiculous language to describe something so benign.
My favorite is when they always say something like “strength to strength” like she sits down and eats dinner. It’s not miraculous.
It is funny. I also still can’t believe Bucklebury is a real place, it sounds like a made up location in a cozy detective novel. Every time I see it referenced I’m amused. It sounds very Hydrangea Bucket (pronounced boo-kay) 😂
My favorite is how everything Kate wears is either a “touching tribute” to Diana or a “sweet tribute” to QE2.
@Lucy: It’s Hyacinth Bucket (Boo-Kay), but I rather like Hydrangea, too! Maybe she was a long-lost sister? There’s Violet (with room for a pony!), Rose, and Daisy, and maybe Hydrangea is the one who moved away from her weirdo relatives. Sort of like the ‘normal’ siblings in the old Carol Burnett series with Mama, Eunice, et al.
How about regular “family” meetings (which are really bitch-fests) which are called “summits” in that self-important way?
Kate deciding to join the Christmas festivities at sandrigham shouldn’t be a huge decision or a huge story. The summer’s eve commercial in September confirmed her health was better. So why wouldn’t she be joining her family for Christmas? Hmmm. The way they’re making a big deal about this feels a little too close to the Streisand effect.
I had to search ‘Streisand Effect’. You are right. This is exactly what is happening with stories about Kate. The secrecy around the claimed hospital admission, the Windsor Farm Shop body doubles video, the manipulated photos and garden bench video, are all being discussed in response to new stories about Kate.
They do treat her like they’ve already divorced but if Willy had someone on the side who he was in “love” with Kate would be toast. He’d be divorcing Kate and fully shutting her out.
I cannot believe that any sane woman would want to sleep with someone as awful as Will.
True. This is the reason he was unable to find a suitable bride from the aristocracy. If they all said no then, they’re still saying no. He married a commoner so that’s got to be his hunting ground now. No one else will have him.
Europe is full, I mean full of royal families. Asian, Arabian, African countries, ditto, plus who knows how many more smaller countries/island nations with royalty? Not one of them wanted Willie? He’s part of one of the richest families out there, and he still couldn’t find a bride? Methinks his reputation did precede him. (Apologies for the butchered Shakespeare)
Ha! And yet multiple women lined up to sleep with Charles. Go figure.
Good point. What does Charles have that is lacking in William?
Does anybody know how many times Kate and Will haven’t attended Sandringham Christmas? I seem to recall them being excused boots when she was pregnant and the real Queen had to give them permission to miss?
Excluding the first year of the pandemic, they have attended every year except for the one time William wanted Carole to create his own Christmas celebration with his own pap walk and Boxing Day shooting without the rest of the family. And that was mostly because George and Charlotte were considered too young by the Queen to do the Christmas walk.
It is really a non story except that the media clearly want to hint at something more. Kate was going to large public events unmasked since the summer.
There was one other time – when she was pregnant with George and had just been in the hospital allegedly.
Oh! Let’s play the united family for all the peasants to watch and forget a whole year of clowning and lies…and to emphasise the Sussex “exclusion “. Yeah, they are trying hard to make us forget the different stories about Kate’s abdominal surgery, William’s lack of visits, Kate’s franco-photo (or William’s?), video from the Winsdor farm, Kate’s video announcing “cancer had been present “, video announcing Kate’s cancer free from “precancerous” elements, William’s terrible weight loss and whatever goes on behind palace doors…and last but not least, the constant war between KP and BP….Yeah, whatever…
Earlier today the Mirror posted a story about Kate’s Christmas Carol Service and the comments are mainly negative with many challenging the assumption that she has had cancer. Some comments were removed but then reappeared. There seems to be widespread scepticism about the cancer claims and about the Wales’s marriage.
Another recent story claims that Kate has a ‘huge decision to make’ about whether George will go to Eton or to Marlborough at 13. In reality since William and George have decided on Eton Kate has no decision to make.
Someone is trying very hard to promote the idea that Kate has personal agency .
Serious question-don’t average Brits get sick of pieces like this? The saccharine prose, the cloying descriptions, the vainglory spent on what are actually a stupid, inbred, lazy bunch of hypocrites.
for all the money that they British taxpayers shovel at them, I confess surprise that the mob hasn’t descended on their residence with pitchforks and tumbrels.
I had to look up tumbrels. I didn’t know that type of cart had its own name.
This is like asking if average Americans are sick of FOX News. Of course they’re not because it fills a gap in their lives. With the royals it’s fantasy and costumed drama. Dysfunctional and decaying for sure but largely harmless in the greater scheme of things.
@Maisie: THANK YOU
Did charles’ cancer diagnosis and prognosis trigger crises for william and catherine? Did william lose it thinking he wouldn’t be able to divorce catherine before he ascends the throne? Did she lose it because William’s plans to divorce her were moved up? When oh when will we learn the full truth. The tabloids are sitting on a gold mine!
Tina Brown did write months ago that her sources said both Will and Kate FROZE when they were given KC’s cancer diagnosis because neither wanted to get promotion to prime time! I suspect someone like her, outside the RR, will eventually break the true story. RR will not be happy if they get scooped but as they need access so they are constrained what they can write. However Richard Kay was heavily critical of Will and a lot of RR are hinting at things they can’t yet be explicit about. When will the damp break?
Kate makes a “huge decision” wow, Shouldn’t Christmas be spent with one set of parents one year and then the other set the next year so all the grandparents get to see their grandchildren at least every other year on Christmas day. If it is possible.
Or, as people in their 40s with their own kids, they could consider hosting Christmas themselves. Oh, wait, who am I kidding. Forgot who we were talking about. These two do nothing of their own volition that may take a bit of work on their part.
Will intends to modernize the monarchy? Does this mean Will will continue to host the extended family at Sandringham for Christmas when he is king?
Nothing says holiday merriment like black tie and mean gag gifts and children eating with their nannies.
Hope Harry and Meghan enjoy a Christmas of comfy pajamas, thoughtful gifts and magical moments with their babies.
I second this, QuiteContrary.
I want that cheesy picture too. All 4 in matching pajamas (dogs with matching sweaters or bandanas) – turned away from the camera because that angers the BM more than anything – in front of beautiful Christmas tree with a combination of bought, gifted, and home made ornaments. “From our family to yours…”
Just a few weeks ago we had courtiers telling the press that actually Kate and William never do Christmas Day at the windsors and in fact run a rival Christmas Day lunch and Christmas events and hadn’t been at the black tie affair in years. Kate will do the church and the walk like every other year and disappear to Amner Hall after.
The Middletons stay at Anmer Hall as well. This article was possibly hinting at them not wanting to do the church walk. Or William not wanting Kate there.
Ma Midds was in the streets yelling (through sources) about how royal Christmas traditions were so weird and how Willie and the kids would be in matching jammies on her couch come Christmas, basically. No fussy Christmas traditions for her grandkids!
So… this is a weird issue for Charles to flex on, but it’s always funny when he pushes back on Middleton PR about the royal children. Charles pulls the strings and all his puppets dance.
One article online was that William and Kate were going to have a serious Christmas discussing their difficult year and their marriage. If that doesn’t put up the red flags about their marriage what does. Now will she hang on like grim death to become Queen or in 2025 are we going to hear an announcement.
This is a truly execrable thing to say, ‘who were diagnosed with the disease within days of each other.’ There are many different kinds of cancer!!!!! They do not present the same, they are not treated the same, they do not have the same outcomes!! Shame on the rota!
You know who also had a tough year in the family? Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Breast cancer followed by a melanoma diagnosis. And she doesn’t produce a useless ‘look at me, I’m cancer free!’ video.
Fergie actually spoke about her experiences and was more helpful than anyone else in that the family on that issue at least.
Maybe they’ll do a new weird video to show how very much in love they are.
Given that US towns include Hell,
Intercourse, Hot Coffee, Santa Claus,
Chicken, and Waterproof, the British ones sound fairly ordinary.
Hell is in Michigan so there are always stories of Hell Freezing Over during the winter.
Been there, figuratively and literally.
F’s teamed up with The Telegraph to raise funds for The Teenage Cancer Trust this Christmas. Yeah, she’s done way more raising donations and awareness than either KFC or Km
Princess Kate’s decision to join the Windsors for Christmas might seem like a given, but such family gatherings often carry deeper significance for royals. If true, it could highlight a unified front during the festive season, continuing traditions established by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Meanwhile the other grandparents don’t see their grandchildren at christmas.
I hope the place settings don’t include knives with all the evil back stabbers that will be there…