The Royal holiday season is in full swing, and on Thursday, December 19, fans will get a glimpse of the Royal Family as they arrive at Buckingham Palace for the annual pre-Christmas luncheon hosted by the King. This year, however, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their families made the surprising move of not attending this festive gathering.

According to multiple news outlets, the couple, parents of Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, decided to skip the traditional lunch party and escape early to Anmer Hall, a country house in Norfolk, England.

The Welsh family retreat is 117 miles from Buckingham Palace (roughly a 3.5-hour drive), a bit far to attend Thursday's event. However, since Anmer Hall is located on the Sandringham estate, it is a short drive away when it comes to the Royal Family's Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrations.

Prince William and his family did not attend the King's luncheon, but approximately 70 members of the Royal Family were present, including Prince Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie, and other lesser-known relatives.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were also present, along with their respective husbands, in unison after their father, Prince Andreu, was forced to withdraw from the event amid the recent “Chinese spy” scandal.

As for the rest of the Welsh family's plans, Prince William revealed that he is looking forward to spending some quiet time in the countryside with his children and dog Aura, while attending a recent military party. On the more chaotic side, he also said that the royal family will be celebrating 45 Christmases at Sandringham, as reported by The Sun, and that he is excited to have everyone “in one room.”

The family also released their 2024 Christmas card on Thursday, featuring an old photo of the family featured in Princess Kate's September cancer update video.

Unfortunately, fans were unable to determine if Princess Kate's luncheon outfit was voted the best Christmas look ever, but we bet we'll see plenty of gorgeous royal coats on Christmas Day.