Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Sarah Ferguson have been noticeably absent from the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations for the past two yearsNicola Croal Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer and Sophia Papamavroudi
14:35, 26 Dec 2025
Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Sarah Ferguson reportedly “saved” the Royal Family from further humiliation regarding her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, with one key move. The former Duke and Duchess of York were noticeably absent at Sandringham this year, as the royals, including their two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, gathered in Norfolk for the annual Christmas Day festivities.
Andrew and Fergie were however banished to the shadows due to their previous ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, which continues to haunt them. The pair were stripped of all their royal titles and have been forced to vacate their Windsor Royal Lodge home on the King’s orders, with the move scheduled to take place sometime in the New Year.
Neither of them were invited to Sandringham this year in an attempt by the Firm to steer clear of any controversy over the festive period. However, it wasn’t the first time that the controversial pair had not spent Christmas with the rest of the Royal Family, the Express reports.
Andrew and Fergie on Christmas Day in 2023(Image: Getty)
Last Christmas, Andrew and Fergie stayed away from Sandringham, as the former duke was embroiled in yet another scandal, this time involving his association with an alleged Chinese spy. It was a stark contrast to Christmas 2023, when Fergie was invited to spend Christmas with the royals for the first time since 1991.
She even attended the traditional pre-Christmas lunch and tweeted about it. However, one year on, her ex-husband was back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons and despite the uproar, he remained defiant and even wanted to attend the festive lunch at Buckingham Palace.
A source told the Sun at the time: “Andrew told friends that it’s his family and so he should be there. It’s a family occasion, why shouldn’t he go?” However, neither attended the Christmas lunch nor the Christmas Day festivities in Norfolk.
According to reports, it was Sarah Ferguson who “saved” the day by convincing Andrew to lie low and keep his distance from the Firm.
The Mirror reported that the former Duchess also gave up her own chances of returning to Sandringham for another year and came to “the family’s rescue” after the King and Queen privately urged Andrew to “see sense”.
This year, Andrew was pictured cutting a lonely figure as he drove in Windsor on Christmas Day but it is unclear how Fergie spent the special day.
The pair’s catastrophic fall from grace is believed to not have impacted their two daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
The two York sisters attended Christmas with the rest of the Firm as well as the royal’s pre-Christmas lunch.
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bold told the Mirror she believes King Charles is following in his late mother’s footsteps in the way he maintains relationships and shows support for his two nieces.
She explained: “Whatever you think of their parents, Beatrice and Eugenie, have not been accused of doing anything wrong.
“They have had to watch their parents being humiliated and publicly criticised over many years, and yet they have remained close to the rest of the royal family. Their Grannie, the late Queen, showed them great affection and the King also seems keen to protect them.
“So I think everyone would have been very welcoming at the Palace lunch. I was pleased to see them looking so bright and happy.”