King Charles sent Prince William a “strong message about Harry” by making a peace offer to Andrew

According to experts, King Charles sent a secret message to his sons offering peace to his disgraced brother, the Duke of York.

The country was shocked when Prince Andrew joined the royal family, including the King, Queen and Welsh family, at Sandringham on Christmas Day last year. Many were surprised to see him appear alongside his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson – this was her first December 5 appearance in 30 years – and his presence surprised many.

Now experts say the King's decision to invite his brother – who was considered by many to be the Queen's favourite child – was a signal to his quarrelsome sons. If His Majesty could make a peace offering, perhaps Prince William and Prince Harry can build bridges too.

A source told royal author Robert Jobson about his new book, Catherine, Princess of Wales: The Biography. He wrote for MailOnline: “Perhaps the King is subtly trying to show William that forgiving his brother and giving him a second chance is a strength, not a weakness. Prince William disagrees – and as for his own brother, as far as he is concerned, there is no going back.”

Royal Christmas celebrations traditionally include greeting people outside the church and a family meal with turkey and all the trimmings. Sandringham House was the private home of four generations of British monarchs for over 160 years and now belongs to the King.

Ahead of Christmas 2023, there was speculation that the Sussexes could be invited to Sandringham for the festive period. After a “warm” phone call between Harry and his father in November for the royal's birthday, it was claimed the couple were keen to return to the UK for Christmas. It was later said that Harry was “irritated” to see that his uncle, Prince Andrew, was included in the televised broadcast of the Sandringham walkabout.

Earlier this week, it was claimed that Prince William showed his brother the “opposite of an acknowledgement” and a “barrier gesture” during a rare joint royal event, according to a body language expert. In 2022, the feuding brothers attended a service of thanksgiving for the late Queen at St Paul's Cathedral during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations. It was the first public appearance by Harry and his wife Meghan at a royal event since leaving the monarchy.

Although they met at the same event, the pair sat far apart and were not seen chatting or standing next to each other. Despite the distance, body language expert Judi James told the Mirror, William made a “barrier gesture” as he and his wife Kate walked past the pew where his brother was sitting on the way to his seat.