How Prince Andrew Could Avoid an Awkward Christmas with the Royals at Sandringham

Amid reports that Princess Eugenie is considering flying to Montecito to spend the holidays with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, a royal expert says her dad Prince Andrew could also have a good reason to skip out on the Sandringham festivities this year. Prince Andrew’s invitation to the royal family’s holiday estate hasn’t officially been confirmed by the Palace yet–especially with reported tension with King Charles over his living situation–but the disgraced royal might have the perfect excuse for bowing out of a potentially awkward situation.

According to former BBC royal reporter Jennie Bond, Sandringham might feel overcrowded this year with multiple families all under one roof, as well as new additions like Queen Camilla’s son, Tom Parker Bowles, who was invited to the annual getaway for the first time ever.

Per Yahoo, Bond told OK! Magazine that because “life gets more complicated” when there is extended family and grandkids in the mix, it is starting to “become untenable to have the whole extended royal family under one roof at Sandringham…especially with Camilla’s family to consider as well.”

Since the Duke of York’s kids, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, have their husbands and children, the royal expert said "Andrew’s own growing family will give him and Sarah [Ferguson] the perfect reason to avoid Sandringham."

However, the royal commentator noted that Prince Andrew “remains keen” on joining the rest of the royal family at Sandringham, despite any awkwardness over his Royal Lodge drama with King Charles. Sources previously reported that the monarch cut off his younger brother’s $1.3 million allowance and private security in an attempt to get his brother to leave the 31-room estate that Andrew shares with his ex-wife.

Bond noted that while the Yorks "will almost certainly be invited to share the King and Queen’s celebrations…you can’t help but think that life would be easier all around if the Yorks began to stage their own festivities at Christmas."

While Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson might be hoping that making an appearance will be an olive branch amid their ongoing rift with the crown, Bond notes, however, that the York daughters might not be so keen to join the rest of the royals.

"Beatrice and Eugenie are very protective of both their parents," the royal expert noted, citing reports that the sisters have been trying to help their father find a way to stay at Royal Lodge and pay for its extensive repairs.

Read the original article on InStyle