This year’s Sandringham Christmas church-walk went pretty well by any metric. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson stayed home, but their daughters were welcomed in Sandringham, and Beatrice and Eugenie walked happily alongside their extended relations. The Prince and Princess of Wales brought out their three kids, and Zara and Mike Tindall also had their kids out, so all of the second-cousins were walking along in a group. King Charles made the effort to really put the younger royals/royal-adjacents front-and-center. Everything went well… so why did it feel like such a non-event? There was actually too little controversy and too much blandness, in my opinion. It seemed like a snooze – William and Kate didn’t even make a big deal about stealing the king’s Christmas thunder or anything. There was no real “tabloid” gossip angle. Well, except for the old faithful angle: look at what you’re missing, Harry! Your kids should be here, Harry! That’s the point of Sarah Vine’s latest column in the Mail:

The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three frankly delightful children weren’t just keeping their own lamps lit after a very difficult year, but acting as a veritable beacon of positivity for everyone in the Royal Family. These Christmas Day walkabouts can be very awkward and rather performative, and in recent years have felt somewhat doom–laden, especially as the older generation of royals has started to shuffle off this mortal coil. But this year, as the Waleses met with well–wishers and a fresh–faced new generation took their place in the limelight, the miasma of gloom that had lately settled around the Monarchy seemed to evaporate like dew in the morning sun.

The Wales children were adorable, graciously accepting gifts and patiently doling out hugs and handshakes in return, especially young Charlotte, who was pretty as a picture in her neat little pea coat, glossy hair, big bow, sensible brown tights and ballet flats. Posing happily for selfies and chatting to fans, they radiated wholesomeness and functionality as a family.

Forget Prince Harry and his score–settling; forget the Duchess of Sussex and her narcissistic self–promotion; forget Andrew and his grubby friendship with one of the world’s most prolific paedophiles. Forget even the King’s illness, and the Princess of Wales’ own health woes. All of it seemed to pale into insignificance in the face of the next generation, so full of life and happiness.

For those of us who have, at times, worried that the Royal Family was rather struggling after the death of the late Queen, it felt like they were once again pulling together, the Queen confident in red, the King comfortable in his role as patriarch, Prince William growing in his role as heir but also, perhaps more importantly, as father.

Meanwhile the Princess of Wales, who has rarely brought anything but her A–game to proceedings, seemed even more on top of things. Those three children are a credit to them both – confident yet not arrogant, polite and respectful, full of character yet disciplined and well behaved. Given who they are, they seem remarkably well–adjusted and unspoilt, and appear to have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. It’s not easy to teach children of that age to interact with members of the public in such a high–pressure setting, and yet they carried it off with aplomb.

It’s wonderful, too, to see their friendship with their cousins, Zara and Mike Tindall’s two daughters, Mia and Lena, who are similar ages. These are important bonds to have because being a royal child is a unique, complex and occasionally trying experience, and it will no doubt help to be able to rely on each other.

Credit too to Mr and Mrs Middleton, who despite years in the limelight have never once stepped out of line (despite, on occasion, provocation), and who, it is said, have been invaluable in supporting their daughter and son–in–law with the children’s upbringing.

The only dark cloud on the horizon for this sunny generation of young royals is the absence of their American cousins, Archie and Lilibet. What a shame that the Sussexes can’t seem to see past their own psychodramas sufficiently to put the past behind them and allow their two to join this happy band of young royals. How strange – some might say dysfunctional – to want to deny them that closeness. Who knows, maybe next year. As the Prince and Princess of Wales are proving, it’s never too late to break that generational curse.

[From The Daily Mail]

“What a shame that the Sussexes can’t seem to see past their own psychodramas sufficiently to put the past behind them and allow their two to join this happy band of young royals…” The Sussexes were not invited. In fact, many of Vine’s royalist cronies crowed about how the king was “snubbing” the Sussex family yet again, his own little Christmas tradition of being too bitter and racist to see his grandchildren for Christmas. It’s always been one of Charles’s dumbest PR moves as well – for years, I’ve said that Charles should publicly invite the Sussexes to visit for the holidays and put the onus on Harry and Meghan to say yes or no. If H&M turn down Charles, THEN you can write these dumb columns about “why can’t the Sussexes let go of their grudges?!?”

Anyway, this column actually reads as an acknowledgement that the Wales family is not exciting enough for the British press. William and Kate have served up their three children on a silver platter for the press. Why not be happy with that? Why are Mail columnists looking at the Wales kids and thinking “damn it, where are Archie and Lili?” Probably for the same reason why the columnists look at William and talk about “why doesn’t Harry come baaaaack?”

Photos courtesy of Meghan’s IG, Cover Images and Backgrid. Screencap courtesy of ABC/Disney.