Now a regular fixture at the Sandringham Estate every holiday, Kate Middleton once refused to join the royals for Christmas in Norfolk. “The royal family reportedly took note when she turned down an invitation to attend the family festivities without a ‘ring on her finger.’
Traditionally, only married royals and their spouses are invited to Christmas at Sandringham. This century-old custom scrupulously ruled out girlfriends or boyfriends from attending. Even Princess Diana was not asked before her engagement to Prince Charles.
Before her engagement, Middleton, however, put up a bold condition to her then-boyfriend, Prince William. She made it clear that she wouldn’t attend the Queen’s traditional Christmas lunch without a formal commitment.
View this post on Instagram
Robert Lacey revealed in his book Battle of Brothers: “By 2006, the couple had been dating seriously for the best part of five years. Yet when William invited Kate to join him that year at Sandringham for the royal family’s traditional Christmas lunch, she refused.”
Middleton was the first unmarried partner to be invited to the traditional Christmas lunch, following Queen Elizabeth II’s decision to break royal protocol. Middleton’s stance set a precedent that influenced how later royal girlfriends, such as Meghan Markle, were invited before marriage.
While recalling the Christmas snub, the royal historian wrote, “It was the first time the Queen had extended such an invitation to an unregistered ‘girlfriend,’ but Kate had her own take on that break with tradition: she would go to Sandringham on Christmas Day only when she was engaged and had a ring to prove it.”
A palace source told Radar Online how Middleton’s choice reflected both her confidence and a desire to be valued as a serious partner. They went on to explain that “Kate was intent on establishing her own boundaries.”
The palace insider added how Middleton “wanted certainty and a formal commitment before stepping into such a prominent family environment, and she communicated that clearly to William.”
At the time, the pair had been coping with constant public and media scrutiny. Being already in the line of succession, the prince was under constant scrutiny.
Sharing an insight on Middleton’s shocking decision, another palace insider called it “an act of defiance.” They felt it was more “about setting clear boundaries and making sure she was recognized as more than just a girlfriend within the very traditional royal family setting.”
The royal couple got engaged in November 2010 before walking down the aisle at Westminster Abbey in April 2011. Prince William and Princess Catherine, along with their three children, will join the rest of the Royal family (or those who got an invite) at their country home. They’ll travel to Anmer Hall, on the Sandringham Estate, for Christmas this year.
View this post on Instagram
This year, however, marks the first Christmas for the family of five in their new home. Even though they likely won’t spend the day in their eight-bedroom Georgian mansion, Forest Lodge.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, along with Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, and Prince George, will join King Charles and Queen Camilla for their annual Christmas celebrations next week. Although Queen Camilla’s children joined the royals last year, they will not attend this year’s celebrations.
Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice are likely to miss the royal event as they choose to stay away from their scandal-hit parents. Thanks to their association with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, have been stripped of their titles. They’re now treated as outcasts.
