Duchess Catherine’s parents – Michael and Carole Middleton, have missed out on an invitation to spend Christmas with the royals, meaning that they won’t be seeing their precious grandson Prince George.
Kate, Prince William and George will all be dining at Sandringham, alongside the Queen and the rest of the royal gang, but the Middletons appear to have been left off the list.
Even though William and Catherine’s multimillion-dollar renovations at their ten-bedroom country estate, Anmer Hall, are expected to be complete by Christmas time, they won’t be hosting the Middleton family there, either.
Instead, as is tradition, it’s expected the entire royal family will attend Christmas Mass together in the morning, followed by lunch at Sandringham.
Michael, Carole and Kate’s siblings Pippa and James will reportedly miss out, as there’s simply not enough room at the Christmas lunch table – or at the family shoot that traditionally takes place on Boxing Day.
The Palace prepares for Prince George’s first Christmas
The Daily Mailquotes a “palace Insider” as saying: “It is highly unlikely Kate’s family will be invited to the big Christmas lunch, or the famous Boxing Day shoot. Perhaps one day they will be invited to the big house for tea, but not for lunch or dinner, and not on Christmas Day.”
“The Queen is fond of Kate and doesn’t mean to exclude her family – indeed she has broken many of the old rules for them in the past.
“But if all of her children and grandchildren’s wives had their families to lunch, there wouldn’t be enough room, even at Sandringham House’s dining room.”
It will no doubt come as a blow to Catherine, who is still quite close to her parents and has recently sought refuge with them, to nurse her through the horrific morning sickness she has been suffering through since announcing her second pregnancy. The Duchess reportedly fled the chaos of London to lie low at her parents’ Bucklebury Estate.
Duchess Catherine rests at parents’ home before returning to public life
No doubt she would have loved to repay them in kind, but they may have to have a belated Middleton Christmas together, far be it from Catherine to attempt to buck years of royal tradition on Christmas Day!
Duchess Kate suffering extreme morning sickness again
