Prince George pulls up at gan gans with Charlotte and Louis for Christmas lunch

Prince Andrew has broken cover for the first time in weeks to go to Queen’s Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.

The Duke of York stepped down from Royal duties after appearing on the BBC to discuss his controversial friendship with billionaire paedophile Jeffry Epstein.

Despite rumours of tensions amid the fall out from the ‘car crash interview’, members of the Royal Family managed to put on smiles as they headed to the annual turkey with all the trimmings feast.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge led the arrivals along with their three children.

George, Charlotte and Louis looked particularity excited to see their ‘gan gan’, who traditionally hosts a festive family lunch on the Wednesday before Christmas.

Prince William drove his son Prince George, six, who sat next to him in the front on a booster seat, while Kate brought along their other two children Princess Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, 19 months old, in a separate car.

Also attending the annual event in London this afternoon was Prince Charles and Princess Beatrice , who is the daughter of Prince Andrew,  and Mike and Zara Tindall.

Sophie, the  Countess of Wessex was in one car with her daughter Lady Louise Windsor, 16, while her husband Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, was in another with their son James, Viscount Severn, 12.

However there was no sign of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who do not plan to return to Britain until next year while they have a six-week break from royal duties to spend time with baby Archie in an undisclosed country.

The annual event at Buckingham Palace is one of the rare times all of the monarch’s extended family meet, and is considered a chance for the Queen to celebrate with those who do not receive an invitation to spend Christmas in her Norfolk estate with the senior royals.

Sandringham House, in Norfolk, is where the Queen’s husband Prince Philip, 98, spends most of his time.

It is hoped Prince Philip will make the journey to London for the Christmas lunch, when the family are seated at round tables to enjoy a Sandringham-bred turkey lunch and pull crackers, according to the MailOnline.

While Prince William could be seen smiling as he made his way through the palace gates, the same could not be said for Andrew, who has struggled to move past his disastrous Epstein interview.

The Duke of York, who emphatically denies allegations he had sex with accuser Virginia Giuffre when she was 17, was heavily criticised for failing to show empathy for Epstein’s victims.

However he was handed some support this week when Archbishop of Canterbury weighed into the scandal, saying it is wrong to expect royals to behave like ‘superhuman saints’.

Giuffre is one of more than 80 women who say they were abused by Epstein.

Andrew has resisted calls from her and others to speak to the FBI about Epstein’s criminality.