TALE OF TWO CHRISTMASES
As young royals sparkle, disgraced duke avoids festive crowds
THE Queen was buoyed yesterday after her greatgrandchildren stole the show in their first public appearance at Sandringham on Christmas Day. But the absence of her poorly husband, Prince Philip, and shamed son, the Duke of York – as well as Harry and Meghan – cast a shadow over the occasion.
After four days in hospital being treated for a mystery ailment, frail Philip, 98, was being cared for at the main house on the Norfolk estate as
Her Majesty and other senior royals attended church.
During the service, which was broadcast over speakers to the public outside, Canon Jonathan Riviere appeared to refer to the Duke of Edinburgh when he told the congregation: ‘We pray for those struggling with illness.’
Prince Andrew – who was forced to step down from public duties over his friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein – also missed the service. Instead, he attended an earlier lowkey private service with his mother, walking to the church deep in conversation with his brother, Charles.
It is understood he missed the main service to spend time with his father, with sources saying it was a ‘personal
decision’ by the prince. However, there was speculation that Andrew was reluctant to make the mile-long walk down from the royal residence to the church in case he was heckled by the public.
But there was plenty of Christmas cheer in the shape of Prince George, six, and Princess Charlotte, four, who accompanied their parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to the church for the first time.
Their brother, 19-month- old Prince Louis, stayed at home with his nanny, Maria Borrallo.
The junior royals were shy and hesitant at first, particularly smartly- dressed George, who looked pensive and clutched his father’s hand.
However, Charlotte soon warmed up and her bubbly nature took over, especially when one member of the public handed her a brightly coloured blow-up flamingo and asked for a hug.
The beaming young princess, who looked sweet in a £140 green coat by Amaia Kids and Mary Jane shoes, with her hair neatly braided, looked delighted as she thanked wheelchair user Gemma Clark.
Miss Clark, 39, who has cerebral palsy, travelled from Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, with her family. She said Charlotte seemed pleased with the gift.
Charlotte was also encouraged by her mother, Kate – elegant in a green hat and grey fake furtrimmed coat – to take posies of flowers from twins Thomas and Theresa Richman, nine, who suffer from Charcot- MarieTooth disease, which affects the nerves that control muscles.
Their mother Michelle Richman, from nearby Bircham, said Kate stopped to talk to her because she recognised her from a brief meeting at a local delicatessen.
Mrs Richman said: ‘ It was absolutely stunning – I survived breast cancer six years ago so to still be here and see that today with the children was absolutely tremendous.
‘This has made our Christmas and made our year, it was a real honour to meet them all.
‘Charlotte said she had a really lovely Christmas – they had a very early start.’
Karen Anvil, a mother who took a world-famous picture of William and Kate walking to church with Harry and Meghan in 2017, gave Charlotte a doll and managed to capture some more pictures of the youngster on her phone.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their nine-month- old son, Archie, were notable by their absence. With the blessing of the Queen they are spending the festive season with Meghan’s mother Doria in Canada. But some onlookers were disappointed they weren’t in England, particularly given the poor health of Harry’s grandfather.
In the absence of her husband, the Queen, 93, who was dressed in festive red, travelled to St Mary Magdalene Church by car, significantly accompanied by her daughter-in-law, the Duchess of Cornwall, 72.
The implication was lost on no- one, particularly following this year’s Queen’s Christmas message, during which she made a point of heavily featuring her direct heirs Charles, William and George, along with Camilla and Kate.
While she has always been fond of Camilla, there was a time
‘This has made our Christmas’
when the monarch would not even tolerate hearing her name in her presence due to the stench of scandal.
But she has been deeply impressed by Camilla’s loyalty to Charles and the way in which she has embraced royal duties and won over members of the public with her warmth and geniality.
While the monarch has made no official proclamation on whether she supports Charles in his desire to see Camilla crowned Queen one day, having her travel with her to church will be seen as a public mark of approval.
Also enjoying a moment in the spotlight was Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Beatrice’s fiance, who was invited to spend
Christmas at Sandringham by the Queen for the first time in a show of solidarity for her granddaughter, whose wedding plans have been overshadowed by her father’s scandal.
It was the smallest royal turnout for several years.
Zara Tindall, her husband Mike and their two daughters were away with family, as was her brother, Peter, his wife Autumn, and their two girls.
But the York family was out in force – as well as Beatrice and her fiance, her sister, Eugenie, was there with husband Jack.
Other members of the public who got to meet the royals included Eileen Broughton, 91, and her daughter Tina, who drove her wheelchair-bound mother down from Lincolnshire for the occasion.
Miss Broughton, from Lincoln, said of Andrew’s absence: ‘I don’t think he would show his face at the moment.’
But she described their encounter with Kate as a fitting finale to a ‘perfect day’.
In a moment of minor drama, two men were escorted away by police after climbing over a fence behind one of the public viewing areas and walking along a field line near the church. A spokesman for Norfolk Police said no one was arrested.
‘Andrew wouldn’t show his face’
CHRISTMAS is meant to be a time of peace on Earth and goodwill to all men.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always seem that way. However much we love our families, tensions inevitably surface. Grumbles about gifts (socks again!). Squabbles over what to watch on TV. Not to mention negotiating the minefield of who cooks dinner.
Despite sometimes appearing inescapably detached from real life, the Royals also endure familial turbulence – proving they too are as human as the rest of us.
The Queen frets about frail Prince Philip, who returned to Sandringham after four nights in hospital. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, apparently uneasy in the public eye, spend Christmas thousands of miles away across the Atlantic.
And Prince Andrew, mired in scandal over his links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, is keeping a low profile.
But with customary devotion to duty, Her Majesty soldiers on. Her annual message spoke of renewal, praising new generations for their ‘sense of purpose’. Isn’t this feeling of new life bursting forth perfectly encapsulated by George and Charlotte stealing the show at the Royal Family’s traditional Christmas Day church service? Emphasising the importance of reconciling ‘past differences’, the woman who has weathered so many crises flawlessly captured the country’s mood.
Brexit has split the UK. We have endured a rancorous election. But those arguments – we hope – have finally been put to bed.
We are on the brink of an exciting new decade – the ‘Roaring Twenties’. By putting debilitating clashes (both personal and national) behind us, we can surely face the future with unalloyed optimism.