Daughters of disgraced Andrew join royals for Christmas
While Britain’s Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie attended the royal family’s traditional Christmas Day church service, their father Andrew, who was recently stripped of his titles over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was not there.
King Charles and Queen Camilla led the senior royals to a church in Sandringham in eastern England, about 175 km northeast of London, and greeted well-wishers in the cool winter air.
Charles and Camilla walked in front, followed by the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, and their three children.
Other members of the family included Princess Anne and her husband Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their children, as well as the king’s niece Zara and her husband Mike Tindall.
The king’s younger brother, now known only as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, has faced increasing pressure over his links to Epstein.
In October, Charles stripped him of all his titles, including Duke of York and prince, and ordered him to vacate his home in Windsor and move into private accommodation at the Sandringham estate, which has been the royal family’s traditional venue for Christmas Day ceremonies since 1988.
Buckingham Palace said the steps taken against Andrew were necessary to protect the reputation of the monarchy, adding that the king’s thoughts and sympathies were with the victims of abuse.
Andrew has denied allegations that he sexually abused Virginia Giuffre, an American woman who said she was kidnapped by the late financier Epstein and forced to have sex with Andrew when she was a teenager; This was an allegation that Andrew settled a civil case in the US in 2022 without admitting liability.
The attendance of daughters Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, underscores their continued presence at family events despite the controversies surrounding their father.
The royal family is expected to return to Sandringham House for lunch before King Charles’ televised Christmas message later in the day.
