The Royal Story The Royal Story
Princess Eugenie has released a statement after she and her sister, Princess Beatrice, were absent from tonight’s Christmas carol service hosted by the Princess of Wales. Taking to Instagram, Eugenie said that she and her sister “wished” they could have been there.
Sharing a photo of the Order of Service about an hour after the event ended, she wrote: “Wish Bea and I could have been celebrating tonight with our family. Wishing the Princess of Wales such a special evening at her incredible carol service. What an amazing message of love and hope.”
She did not give a reason for their absence. The sisters — daughters of the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson — typically attend the annual service with their families.
It is understood that both sisters were invited but were simply unable to attend.
This marks the first time Princess Beatrice has missed the Princess of Wales’s annual concert, having attended every year since 2021. Princess Eugenie was absent last year but had been present at all previous services.
Their parents, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, were stripped of their titles and required to vacate Royal Lodge — their Windsor home since 2008 — following continued scrutiny and public embarrassment over their associations with the late US financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children joined a congregation of celebrities, athletes and community champions this evening to celebrate love in all its forms during the festive season.
READ MORE: Meghan Markle Reportedly Reopens Lines of Communication with Her Father After His Hospitalisation
Princess Catherine hosted her annual Together at Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey, where around 1,600 guests filled the same pews in which she and Prince William were married back in 2011.
The service honoured people from across the UK who have given their time to support others, led community-building initiatives, or simply offered kindness and help to those around them.
