Prince William and Kate Middleton have reportedly left Windsor with their kids as they officially kicked off their Christmas celebrations after Prince Andrew caused new security chaos.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are said to have headed straight to their Georgian home, Anmer Hall, located on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. The couple’s three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – have also accompanied them following the closure of their school for the festive holiday.
The couple are expected to join the King and Queen Camilla at Sandringham, the monarch’s much-loved Norfolk residence, where the royal family celebrate Christmas each year.
It comes amid reports that William and Kate have begun preparations to become king and queen ‘sooner than expected’. The pair have begun gearing up for William’s ascension, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith has claimed.
This year’s Christmas carries a deeper significance for the couple following the health challenges Kate has faced in what her husband the Prince of Wales recently described as a “brutal” year.
Prince Andrew’s finances are also being investigated by MI5 as the disgraced royal breaks silence on scandal. The Telegraph has since claimed that the alleged Chinese money given to the Duke of York is being investigated by the security services.
On Thursday, it emerged that the alleged spy, described as a “close confidant” of the Duke of York in court documents, had been banned from the UK on national security grounds.
“Although the king is carrying out his duties with typical determination, he has had to accept limitations during his cancer treatment,” Bedell Smith told People.
“As a result William has been taking on more responsibilities, and he and Kate have been preparing for their future roles sooner than they would have expected.”
