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Every year, the royal family gathers at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham for the traditional Christmas service, a custom upheld for nearly four decades. This year will be the first without Andrew Mountbatten Windsor following King Charles’ decision to strip him of his titles.
However, another issue may disrupt the celebrations. According to The Telegraph, several choir members have boycotted rehearsals after the departure of Dr Claire Stewart, the church’s director of music.
The dispute began when Rev Paul Williams, the King’s chaplain and rector of Sandringham, commissioned a review of the 25-member volunteer choir. The review, led by former Peterborough Cathedral music director Tansy Castledine, found that some members had “no knowledge of music or singing technique” and should “aspire to higher standards.”
Dr Stewart reportedly responded with her own 28-page rebuttal before taking leave and later resigning. Since then, several members have quit following an ultimatum to parents and guardians, raising concerns that this year’s Christmas service could be disrupted.
READ MORE: King Charles Makes Big Decision on Princess Beatrice After Prince Andrew’s Embarrassing Scandal
All eyes on Sandringham
Sandringham has remained in the spotlight following last Thursday’s announcement that King Charles’ brother, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, will be stripped of his titles and required to vacate his Windsor residence, Royal Lodge.
The 30-room mansion, which he has long shared with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, will no longer serve as his home. It has now been confirmed that Andrew will relocate to a property on the King’s private Sandringham Estate.
It hasn’t yet been confirmed which property on the Sandringham Estate Andrew Mountbatten Windsor will move into. HELLO!’s Online Homes Editor, Rachel Avery, shared: “There are various properties on the Sandringham Estate which could become Andrew’s new abode. Wood Farm, where Prince Philip used to stay, is considered unlikely, but there’s also the newly decorated The Folly, the four-bedroom Gardens House, as well as Park House and York Cottage.”
As for what his daily life might look like on the Norfolk estate, HELLO!’s Royal Editor, Emily Nash, explained that despite Sandringham being open to the public year-round, Andrew is expected to maintain a low profile. “His day-to-day life may not actually look all that different from that at Windsor, given he has been living largely out of the public eye since 2019,” she wrote in her newsletter for The HELLO! Royal Club.
“Andrew has often been seen out riding in recent years, and that’s something he could easily continue at Sandringham, which is home to the Royal Stud. And as his disastrous Newsnight interview confirmed, he is fond of a ‘straightforward shooting weekend,’ so he will have plenty of opportunity to indulge in that sport on the Norfolk Estate.”
