Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were the surprise guests at King Charles‘s Christmas celebrations amid speculation they would skip Sandringham following the scandal surrounding their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

It was, therefore, a remarkable sight when Eugenie, 35, walked proudly towards St Mary Magdalene Church while being ‘cocooned’ by her husband Jack Brooksbank, 39, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 61.

Even more surprising was her older sister Beatrice’s sudden appearance after it seemed like she had passed on the King’s invite.

According to body language expert Judi James, the smiling York sisters wanted to send a strong message of ‘resilience’ while highlighting their position among the Royal Family with their Sandringham appearance.

However, Andrew was the grey cloud on an otherwise bright, sunny day in Norfolk as Ms James pointed out that Beatrice and Eugenie ‘avoided’ meeting fans during the walkabout.

There appeared to be some ‘fear or worry’ about the public’s response during the more ‘intimate’ part of the outing, she explained.

Analysing their appearance – beginning with the royal family’s arrival – Ms James suggested Beatrice and Eugenie’s mannerisms suggested a ‘well-planned choreography’ for the high-profile Christmas outing.

‘Eugenie arrived with the others, walking at the very heart of the royal group as though cocooned by them to show she was still embraced, protected, and even cherished despite her parents’ forced absence,’ she told the Daily Mail.

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Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were the surprise guests at King Charles’s Christmas celebrations amid speculation they would skip Sandringham following the scandal surrounding their father Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

Ms James also suggested ‘The Firm had colluded’ in the execution of Beatrice and Eugenie’s public performance as she noted how the Duke of Edinburgh stepped away from his own family to join Eugenie, where he acted like a ‘human ice-breaker’.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh‘s likeable, easygoing personality has seen them act as a ‘social cushion’ during awkward royal events, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s final public engagement in 2020.

Sophie, 60, and Edward were seen chatting warmly with the Sussexes when they attended the Queen’s Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020, while they were ‘virtually cut off’ from the rest of the royals.

While Eugenie, 35, was smiling as she arrived, Ms James noted her expression seemed ‘performed, sustained, planned, and significant’.

‘It looked like a message of intent in terms of resilience and confidence in the face of her father’s ongoing scandal and banishment from the line-up,’ she said.

Beatrice, on the other hand, kept a ‘lower profile’ than her younger sister, who was at the ‘heart of the royal group’ as they walked into St Mary Magdalene Church.

Sources previously claimed Beatrice had declined King Charles’ invitation to spend Christmas at Sandringham to ‘avoid embarrassment’.

They added she would be spending the festive season overseas on a skiing trip with her husband, children and friends as Beatrice remained ‘torn between loyalty to the King and her parents’.

Ms James highlighted how Beatrice wasn’t seen until the very end of the arrivals, suggesting the 37-year-old and her husband Edoardo Mappeli Mozzi, 42, were at the back of the group.

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It was a remarkable sight when Eugenie, 35, (third row) walked proudly behind Princess Anne towards St Mary Magdalene Church while being ‘cocooned’ by her husband Jack Brooksbank (left) and the Duke of Edinburgh (right)

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Even more surprising was her older sister Beatrice’s sudden appearance after it seemed like she had passed on the King’s invite

Her behaviour ‘added to the drama’ surrounding the York sisters’ appearance at Sandringham in light of Andrew’s very public fall from grace, after King Charles removed his younger brother and Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson from the guest list.

While Eugenie sent a strong message that her loyalties lay with The Firm, ‘did Beatrice prefer to appear less committed?’

‘Why not walk in proudly with her sister?’ Ms James wondered. ‘Eugenie has always inherited the late Queen’s capacity for a confident, sustained royal smile, but there were hints Beatrice might not have felt as assured.’

After the church service, Beatrice and Eugenie – along with their husbands Edo and Jack – were spotted chatting on the steps of St Mary Magdalene in what appeared to be a ‘planned-looking move’.

Their ‘matching wide, teeth-baring smiles’ suggested resilience and ‘no desire to keep a low profile’.

According to Ms James, their body language suggested the sisters’ resolve to ‘hold their heads up in public’ despite Andrew and Fergie’s shame.

These signals of stoicism began to waver as the Waleses began preparing their family for the royal walkabout as Ms James noted how their ‘smiles dipped in a moment of awkward hesitation’.

Noting how neither Beatrice nor Eugenie stopped to greet fans before making their way back to Sandringham House, Ms James pointed out subtle behaviours that suggested they wanted to ‘avoid’ any possible conversations about Andrew.

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According to body language expert Judi James, the smiling York sisters wanted to send a strong message of ‘resilience’ while highlighting their position among the Royal Family with their Sandringham appearance

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These signals of stoicism began to waver as the Waleses began preparing their family for the royal walkabout as Ms James noted how their ‘smiles dipped in a moment of awkward hesitation’

‘Eugenie fiddled with the buttons of her coat in an auto-contact barrier ritual that suggested a desire to self-protect, hinting at some fear or worry about the fans’ responses during this more intimate part of the outing,’ she said.

That was the last time the sisters were pictured at Sandringham on Christmas morning after what was seen as the royal family’s remarkable show of solidarity in the face of the scandal.

Meanwhile, Andrew was left out in the cold as the disgraced ex-Duke of York was seen leaving Royal Lodge alone on Christmas Day.

Andrew – who has always denied any wrondoing – has been stripped by the King of all his remaining titles and forced to downsize from his 30-room Windsor mansion over his ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

He cut a solitary figure, driving himself out of the royal estate, wrapped in a scarf and casual waterproof, in stark contrast to his smartly-dressed daughters and their husbands who joined senior royals on the traditional Christmas morning walk to church.

There was no sign of Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and her spokesman refused to discuss her plans.

King Charles has quietly made clear that while his shamed brother is unwelcome at any family festivities, his nieces – who remain ‘blood princesses’ and have retained their York titles – should not be made to pay for their father’s ‘sins’.

A source said: ‘His Majesty is very fond of them.’