Tea, Titles & Tiaras with Emily Darlow
The annual pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace is one of those royal events that rarely looks dramatic but always tells a bigger story. Who arrives, who does not, who brings their children and who is quietly kept at arm’s length all matter.
I have been lucky enough to be in London at Christmas a few times and this lunch has become one of my favourite royal traditions. I always start the day near Kensington Palace, stopping first at the WholeFoods by the palace gates to grab some cheese and a baguette before settling in by the exit to watch the motorcades roll out.
I was there the final year Harry and Meghan attended as working royals and I have also seen Eugenie and Jack leave together, back when their place within the family felt far less complicated. Once the cars depart, I make my way across the city towards Buckingham Palace, usually stopping at Fortnum and Mason for a couple of canelés and cakes before taking up position opposite the palace gates for the afternoon departures.
You do not see much, a wave here, a familiar silhouette there, but it always feels quietly magical. Polished, traditional and unmistakably Christmassy.
This year, though, there was far more going on beneath the surface.
Who Attended the Buckingham Palace Christmas Lunch
King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted the lunch, with the Prince and Princess of Wales arriving together with all three of their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The decision to bring all three children was widely noted and read as a confident signal of continuity and stability after a difficult year.
Also attending were Princess Beatrice with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie with Jack Brooksbank, Zara and Mike Tindall and Peter Phillips. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent were also present, reinforcing the role of the wider family in these moments even if they no longer dominate headlines.
Andrew did not attend the Christmas lunch, but was spotted riding at Windsor that day, a classic case of royal near-miss optics that ensured he was seen without being seated.
It was a fuller turnout than many expected, and the emphasis was clearly on family and visibility. The lunch was not just about Christmas. It was about reassurance.
King Charles Recovery and the State of the Monarchy
The King has confirmed that his cancer treatment will be reduced in the new year, a carefully managed update delivered in typical palace style. The tone has been calm and measured, with no attempt to oversell progress or rush the narrative.
What matters more is what this allows behind the scenes. Charles has continued to appear at key moments, host family gatherings and maintain visibility while carefully managing his workload. It sends a message of steadiness rather than urgency.
This approach also allows Prince William to continue stepping into greater responsibility gradually. The transition we are seeing is one of presence rather than power, and it is being handled deliberately.
Prince Andrew – The House the Boxes and the Ongoing Problem
Prince Andrew remains one of the most unresolved and uncomfortable issues facing the monarchy and recent developments have only sharpened that reality.
Andrew is still technically resident at Royal Lodge in Windsor, but preparations for his eventual departure appear to be under way. Reports suggest that rooms inside the house are filled with decades of accumulated possessions, with some anterooms stacked floor to ceiling with documents and photographs. He has long been described as a hoarder and reluctant to accept assistance when it comes to sorting through his private collections.
There have also been reports of boxes being removed quietly late at night, adding to the sense of a problem being managed discreetly and without ceremony.
Officially, Andrew is expected to move into a temporary property on the Sandringham estate, often described as modest in size. In royal terms, such descriptions should always be treated cautiously. What is clear is that this is not a straightforward eviction.
Andrew was not forced out of Royal Lodge. He was effectively bought out, with the understanding that he would be provided with alternative accommodation once renovations elsewhere are complete, along with staff support and security.
The optics remain difficult. This week, Andrew attended the christening of his granddaughter at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace, one of the most private and symbolically important spaces in the royal estate. On the same day, Epstein linked images of Andrew were circulating again online.
Notably, neither the King nor the Prince and Princess of Wales attended the event. The contrast between Andrew’s continued access to royal spaces and the absence of senior royals spoke volumes.
The issue is not whether Andrew should be allowed private family moments. It is whether granting him access to royal settings risks normalising a presence the monarchy has publicly tried to distance itself from. This scandal has not faded. It continues to resurface and embarrass the institution.
William and Kate – Less Ceremony More Authority
Prince William’s appearance this week alongside former England footballer Jill Scott carried more weight than a routine engagement. Speaking about leadership, William warned that leadership cannot simply be about status or title. He stressed that real leadership requires accountability, transparency and the willingness to earn trust rather than assume it.
He spoke about the importance of long-term thinking and doing the work even when it is uncomfortable or unpopular. It was a noticeably firmer tone than we have seen from him in the past and difficult not to read in the wider context of the monarchy’s challenges.
William has increasingly moved away from vague platitudes, and this was another clear example of a Prince of Wales articulating a values-based vision of leadership centred on responsibility and credibility.
Kate, meanwhile, made an unannounced visit connected to cancer care and recovery through the Ever After Garden project at the Royal Marsden Hospital. She left a handwritten note acknowledging the emotional reality of recovery and wore daisy earrings, a symbol long associated with resilience and hope.
Together, their appearances reinforced a pattern that has been building all year. The Waleses are positioning themselves as steady, purposeful and emotionally literate, present without being performative and increasingly central to the monarchy’s future.
What Comes Next
Next week brings a festive double for Tea, Titles and Tiaras. On Wednesday, I will be unpacking what royal Christmas actually looks like, from Sandringham schedules to church walk outs and gift traditions.
Then on Thursday, we will recap how the royals spent Christmas Day itself, who turned up, who did not and what it quietly revealed about the year ahead.
Until then, I will be thinking of palace gates, winter coats and the unspoken stories hiding in plain sight.
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