It was for the first time that Prince William and Kate Middleton and their children skipped the traditional Christmas lunch put on for the royal family.
According to The Telegraph, the couple had made the decision quite some time ago and the king was informed in advance.
Speaking to The Daily Beast’s Tom Sykes about their absence from the event, a former courtier, “It is another example of the couple’s growing confidence when it comes to challenging some long-established traditions which they are widely believed to consider tiresome. Charles would have liked them to be there, and the fact that he was either unwilling or unable to insist on it shows his inability to maintain family discipline. You can’t imagine anyone missing it when Prince Philip was around”.
According to another news outlet, the Prince and Princess of Wales would not have thought about skipping the event had Queen been around.
A friend of the couple told Sykes “It’s categorically not a snub. They have had a full-on year and I don’t think anyone can expect Catherine to be effectively hosting lunch for hundreds of people”.
