.png)
King Charles has made a joyful exception by permitting Princess Margaret's grandson, Samuel Chatto, to accompany his fiancée, Eleanor Ekserdjian, to Sandringham for Christmas.
This is a momentous occasion in royal procedure since it parallels the late Queen Elizabeth II's 2017 decision, when she granted a similar exemption for Meghan Markle.
The Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry's then-girlfriend, was invited to the royal event five months before their wedding at Windsor's St George's Chapel.
Previously, the rules were strictly "I do": Princess Kate had to wait until her 2011 wedding, while the Duchess of Edinburgh was not invited until after her 1999 marriage to Prince Edward.
As for Samuel and Eleanor, royal watchers are already buzzing with anticipation, thinking that this may be a sign of a wedding in the near future. After all, it is not every day that you get the opportunity to spend Christmas with the royals.
The couple has been dating since 2021, and Eleanor confirmed their relationship by saying, "We are a couple."
One keen-eyed royal admirer turned to social media to declare, "This is a clear sign that there will be a royal wedding in the new year!"
Meanwhile, Samuel's mother, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, continues to make an impression in the art world, frequently submitting pieces to the Royal Academy's annual summer show.
