Prince William and Kate Middleton have all but disappeared from the royal radar and naturally, the rumour mill is spinning faster than a Buckingham Palace ceiling fan.
With Prince Andrew making headlines for renouncing his royal titles, some are whispering that the Waleses are steering clear of the spotlight to dodge the fallout.
But according to those in the know, their recent vanishing act has far less to do with scandal and far more to do with school holidays.
Sources according to the Royal Observer, say the couple has simply traded speeches and state dinners for school runs and suitcases.
With Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis on their half term break from Lambrook School until November 3rd, the famously “hands on” parents have likely shifted into full family mode.
Word is, the clan has retreated to their beloved Norfolk hideaway, Anmer Hall where the agenda swaps royal duties for countryside walks, homemade meals, and a much needed digital detox.
After weeks out of the public eye, it turns out the Prince and Princess of Wales haven’t gone into hiding they’ve gone into moving mode.
Following a jam packed autumn schedule, William and Kate are now knee deep in cardboard boxes and bubble wrap as they prepare to settle into their new “forever home,” Forest Lodge.
According to an October 13th report from the Daily Mail, the move has been fast tracked, with the family expected to relocate around November 5th, well ahead of their original Christmas deadline.
“The builders have been working flat out,” an insider revealed, adding that Kate has found the process “quite fun” and that the couple is “ready as a family to move forward.”
But even as the Waleses prep for a fresh start, a certain royal specter looms just four miles away none other than Prince Andrew.
The disgraced Duke’s enduring presence at Royal Lodge, secured by what’s been described as an ironclad lease, remains an awkward thorn in the side of the next King and Queen.
As royal commentator Tina Brown put it with her usual bite, “Unless Andrew can be persuaded to banish himself to a cottage on the Balmoral estate or a cushy villa on a Dubai golf course, his scowly, jowly visage will keep seeping back into the national consciousness.”
The arrangement, funded through hefty upfront payments rather than monthly rent, makes him all but immovable.