By Katherine Tinsley
2:41pm PST, Dec 22, 2025
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According to royal historian
Robert Lacey, Kate Middleton decided not to spend Christmas with the royal family despite Queen Elizabeth II offering to include
Prince William's then-girlfriend in the celebrations.
"By 2006, the couple had been dating seriously for the best part of five years," Lacey said, per
Daily Express.
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"Yet when William invited Kate to join him that year at Sandringham for the royal family's traditional Christmas lunch, she refused," Robert Lacey continued.
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Christmas invitations are typically reserved for members of the royal family and their spouses, but Queen Elizabeth II was willing to bend the rules for Kate Middleton.
"It was the first time the Queen had extended such an invitation to an unregistered 'girlfriend,' but Kate had her own take on that break with tradition: she would go to Sandringham on Christmas Day only when she was engaged and had a ring to prove it," Robert Lacey said.
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Years after skipping the holidays with the royals, Kate Middleton and
Prince William have blossomed into a power couple. During the Waleses' engagement interview, the princess was eager to prove her commitment to the monarchy, which she has successfully done.
"I really hope I can make a difference, even in the smallest way. I am looking forward to helping as much as I can," Kate told
Tom Bradby.
