Pregnant Princess Beatrice has been ordered by doctors to stay home in the UK for Christmas in case travelling endangers her baby.
The late Queen's granddaughter was planning to spend Christmas overseas with her property tycoon husband's family for the first time since their marriage in 2020.
But Buckingham Palace announced last night that the Princess, 36, who is in the final months of her second pregnancy, has changed her festive plans following medical advice that she should not travel for 'long distances'.
On October 1, the Palace announced Princess Beatrice was expecting the baby 'in early spring'. She is now in the third trimester of her pregnancy, which starts from 28 weeks.
Dr Ellie Cannon, Mail on Sunday columnist and GP, said: 'There are a whole host of reasons why somebody in their third trimester may not be able to fly.
'Different acute issues might be something common such as a chest infection or even a viral illness, which can be quite serious in pregnancy. Flying can make this worse because of dehydration and sitting still for hours which can also raise the risk of blood clots.
'More long-term issues could be high blood pressure or diabetes. Travelling long distance can be dangerous in this scenario because of the ongoing monitoring needed.'
The Princess will now celebrate at Sandringham with the Royal Family, alongside husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 40, her stepson Wolfie, eight, and daughter Sienna, three. She is not expected to join the family in their walk to church on Christmas morning.
The Princess has attended other public events recently, including the pre-Christmas Lunch at Buckingham Palace on Thursday.
It is not known exactly where Beatrice was planning to travel to spend Christmas, but it was reported that she had been planning to celebrate with her in-laws.
Her husband Mr Mapelli Mozzi, known as Edo, is the son of former Olympic skier Count Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Williams-Ellis. The family owns an 18th Century mansion an hour from Lake Como in northern Italy.
Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were expected to attend the Royal Family's traditional Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church last year.
Last year, Prince Andrew and his daughter Princess Beatrice made their way to Sandringham Church for Christmas Service together.
Normally, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie spend Christmas at Sandringham; however, both planned to celebrate with their in-laws this year.
Princess Eugenie, 34, is still planning to visit the family of husband Jack Brooksbank, 38.
Both daughters will not spend their day with their parents, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, who will be at the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
It is understood that Sarah helped persuade Andrew to lay low over Christmas after he was embroiled in a scandal over his connections to a Chinese spy.