Kate Middleton's unifying olive branch to Princess Eugenie and Beatrice after Andrew scandal

The Princess of Wales will soon be hosting her fifth Together at Christmas carol service and whilst we already know some of the celebrity guests this year, the royal attendees are generally not announced beforehand. There’s usually quite a turn-out to support Catherine and the York sisters have rarely missed a service since they started in 2021.

It’s now been suggested by royal commentator Neil Sean that the Princess of Wales’s office has sent "personal invitations" to Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice. He claimed that as this is Catherine’s "project" she has "the final say", likening it to Prince William with the Earthshot Prize.

"Above all, yes, the Royal Family wants to be seen as united amid what has been a very difficult year," he went on to say.

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The last few months have been the most difficult of all for Eugenie and Beatrice as their parents become embroiled in headlines linked to their past associations with Jeffrey Epstein. The scrutiny gained momentum and after confirming he’d stop using his Duke of York title, Andrew was the focus of the King's unprecedented statement days later.

King Charles declared that he’d initiated proceedings to strip his brother of his Princely title, rendering him simply Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. He continues to vehemently deny the accusations against him and both he, his former wife Sarah and their daughters have kept a low profile since the scandal.

If the Princess of Wales has personally invited Princess Beatrice and Eugenie to Together at Christmas, as has been suggested, it could be seen as an olive branch and a way to show them they are still very much part of the family.

It was reported that King Charles’s "high affection" for his nieces led him to want to protect them from their parents’ fall from grace.

They have retained their Princess titles and Catherine’s carol service would be their first major public appearance in months. Because of this, their attendance would attract a lot of attention which the sisters may not wish to face right now.

Family, however, is incredibly important to the Princess of Wales and although I believe she’d completely understand whatever decision they make, I think it’s very likely that she felt it was important to invite them. It sends a powerful message and also makes a lot of sense given the theme of this year’s service - love in all its forms.

Each Together at Christmas service is focused on a different, powerful message and making sure her nearest and dearest are included and come together is a way for Catherine to show her love to them. For many people Christmas is all about family and whilst the Royal Family’s celebrations are a lot more public, it still rings true for them.

Prince William is understood to have a close bond with his cousins and previously described how they and their children play a big part in an element of Christmas he looks forward to.

“When I see my children meet up with my cousins’ children, they will have a wonderful time playing together. It’s very special. So I look forward to that a lot,” he declared on Radio Marsden back in 2021.