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The Prince and Princess of Wales arrive at Buckingham Palace for Christmas tradition

Prince William and Princess Kate at a garden party

The Prince and Princess of Wales are inside Buckingham Palace for a special Christmas event.

William and Kate are at The King’s Christmas lunch which is held in the run up to the big day to bring the wider Royal Family together.

Prince William was at the wheel of the family car as it turned into the Palace with Kate at his side.

The couple’s three children were spotted in the back with Prince Louis, 7, ready as always with a face for the photographers.

Prince George, 12, and Princess Charlotte, 10, were more restrained as the car drove in.

The Princess of Wales chose a festive red dress with white patterning for the lunch which reunited several generations of the Royal Family.

The King’s sister, Princess Anne, was seen arriving with her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence.

The Duke of Edinburgh drove his family to the event with the Duchess in the back with their daughter, Lady Louise.

It was a more comfortable journey for Lady Louise, 21, than her last public outing when she was spotted crammed into a small space on the floor of an overcrowded train between London and Bristol.

There was no sign of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, The King’s other brother, who was recently stripped of his royal titles.

However, his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, were both there. Beatrice, 37, arrived with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. They were last seen hosting a pub lunch in central London following the christening of their daughter, Athena Mapelli Mozzi.

King Charles and Queen Camilla are following the tradition set by Queen Elizabeth II who always gathered the wider Royal Family at the Palace for a lunch in the run up to Christmas Day.

For the festivities themselves, The King and Queen will be at Sandringham where they will celebrate the season.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Editor in Chief at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.