Prince Andrew joins Queen’s Christmas lunch

Still smarting from a lecture from his father, Prince Andrew arrived looking grim-faced.

Britain's Prince Andrew drives into Buckingham Palace, as he arrives for the traditional Queen's Christmas lunch. Picture: AP

The “black sheep” of the family, Prince Andrew arrived at Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s annual Christmas lunch with the extended Royal family on Wednesday, looking grim-faced.

Andrew is still smarting, having been given a stern lecture by his father Prince Philip and stripped of his royal duties by his brother, Prince Charles, in the wake of the car crash interview about his friendship with the convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

But while Andrew was stony-faced driving into the palace forecourt, preparing for an awkward few hours, other royals were smiling and ready to enjoy the festivities.

The Queen hosts the lunch each year for her extended family before boarding a train to relocate to Sandringham Hall in Norfolk for a much smaller close knit family gathering on Christmas Day.

However missing from the turkey and trimmings at the Palace this year was the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and seven-month-old Archie. The Sussexes are on an extended six-week holiday with Meghan’s mother Doria after finding the demands of a royal tour and a young family too demanding.

Prince William drives with his son Prince George, right, as they arrive at Buckingham Palace. Picture: AP

It was unclear if 98-year-old Prince Philip, who has been spending time at his small cottage Wood Farm, on the Sandringham estate, had travelled down for the lunch.

The Duchess of Cambridge arrived separately with her four-year-old daughter Princes Charlotte and youngest son Prince Louis, 19 months, while the Duke pulled up soon after with Prince George, six, sitting in the front seat.

Andrew’s daughter Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attended the lunch, as did Prince Charles and his wife the Duchess of Cornwall. Others included Prince Edward and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex and their children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.

Anne, The Princess Royal and husband Timothy Laurence arrived and Mike and Zara Tindall were there too with their daughters.

Princess Kate The Duchess of Cambridge and her daughter Princess Charlotte arrive at Buckingham Palace. Picture: AP

But Andrew’s misjudgements continue to cast a shadow over the family fun, as he has yet to give any deposition to American lawyers of Epstein’s victims.

Andrew, 59, has strongly rejected claims by the Australian woman Virginia Roberts Giuffre that he had sex with her on three occasions when she was aged 17, back in 2001.

Ms Giuffre said she was a sex slave of Epstein’s and was trafficked by him to Andrew, including at the London mews house of Epstein’s girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell after a night dancing at the Tramp nightclub.

Andrew said he had been at Pizza Express Woking that day and refuted Ms Giuffre’s claims he was sweating heavily saying he was incapable of sweating because of a medical condition brought on by his Falklands War experience.

However the public has been damning of Andrew’s excuse that he revisited convicted sex offender Epstein in 2010 for five nights to break off their friendship amid his claims of being “too honourable”.