William, Kate, and kids attend King's pre-Christmas lunch after 2 years

Prince William and Princess Kate are easing back into royal traditions ahead of Christmas 2025.

The Prince and Princess of Wales attended King Charles’ annual pre-Christmas family lunch at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, December 16, bringing along their kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis for the festive family gathering, Hello! magazine reported.

The lunch is a longstanding royal custom held before the family decamps to Sandringham for Christmas Day celebrations. This year’s event marked a notable return for William and Kate, who, along with their children, were absent from the gathering last year.

The reason for their absence wasn’t anything alarming; the Waleses had simply arrived at Norfolk earlier than the rest of the family, following the kids’ break from school. This year, though, they were able to make it for the gathering in Buckingham Palace.

William was seen driving his family to the Palace, with Charlotte briefly sitting in the front seat. She was joined by her brothers, Prince George and Prince Louis, along with the family’s longtime nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, per the outlet.

Other senior royals were also spotted arriving at the Palace. Among them were the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh with their daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, as well as the Duke of Kent, Lady Sarah Chatto.

Also pictured arriving were the daughters of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. The sisters appeared in good spirits as they arrived together by car, marking their first reunion with the royal family ever since their parents’ fall from grace over their links to Jeffrey Epstein.