The King hosted his annual pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, but one prominent family member was notably absent. While the extended royal family gathered inside, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was riding alone in the pouring rain.

The private lunch is one of the few occasions each year when the wider Windsor family comes together before Charles travels to Sandringham for Christmas Day. Once a jovial fixture in the royal calendar, this year’s gathering came six weeks after the King stripped Andrew of his title and served him notice to vacate Royal Lodge, after the continuing fallout from his association with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor taking an early ride in Windsor Park

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Mountbatten-Windsor’s fall from grace was compounded by the posthumous memoir of Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual abuse — an allegation he denies. In 2022, Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre, reported to be worth about $10 million.

Among those attending the lunch were Andrew’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who have spent much of this year navigating their roles amid their father’s disgrace. On Tuesday, Andrew was stripped of his final honorary military title by the Ministry of Defence and the sisters are said to have faced a difficult decision over Christmas, torn between loyalty to their father and their obligations to the wider family.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attended the annual pre-Christmas lunch

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The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the festivities with their three children, marking a return to the family table after missing last year’s lunch.

William and Kate arrived with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, projecting the unity that has characterised their public appearances this season. It was also a reminder of the long line of succession that would prevent Andrew from reaching the throne.

William, Kate and their children attended after missing the lunch last year

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Despite losing his titles and his grace-and-favour home, Andrew remains in the line of succession, which can be altered only by an act of parliament.

For the King, the lunch served as a reaffirmation of continuity, a tradition maintained from his mother’s reign. However, as attention shifts to Sandringham for Christmas, all eyes will be on whether these carefully managed displays of unity can withstand the strains of family loyalty in a year that has tested both the Windsor clan’s cohesion and, ultimately, the future of the monarchy.