Prince William and Kate Middleton have reportedly left Windsor with their children as they officially kick off Christmas celebrations after Prince Andrew caused fresh security chaos.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are said to have headed straight for their Georgian home, Anmer Hall, on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. The couple’s three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – have also joined them after their school closed for the festive break.
The couple are expected to join the King and Queen Camilla at Sandringham, the monarch’s much-loved Norfolk residence, where the royal family spends Christmas each year.
It comes amid reports that William and Kate have begun preparations to become king and queen ‘sooner than expected’. Royal biographer Sally Beadle-Smith has claimed that the couple have begun preparations for William’s ascension.
This year’s Christmas holds a deep 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 his silence on the scandal. The Telegraph It has since been claimed that the alleged Chinese money given to the Duke of York is being investigated by security services.
It emerged on Thursday that the alleged spy, described in court documents as a “close associate” of the Duke of York, had been banned from Britain 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,” Beadle-Smith told PEOPLE.
“As a result, William is taking on more responsibilities, and he and Kate are preparing for their future roles sooner than they expected.”