Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have banned two foods for solo Christmas

Sarah and Andrew are set to spend Christmas Day together at their shared home, Royal Lodge in Windsor, having made the decision to stay away from the Sandringham celebrations

Christmas is set to be a quiet affair for Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. In light of the ongoing furore surrounding the Duke’s connections to an alleged spy, the former couple have decided to stay away from the celebrations at Sandringham and will instead spend the day together at Royal Lodge.

While it will be a muted affair in comparison to the revelry in Norfolk, Sarah and Andrew will no doubt make the best of the day. The pair, who will also be without their daughters, will be sitting down to a delicious Christmas Day meal – but there are two items that will not be included on the menu, according to Princess Eugenie.

Sarah and Andrew’s youngest daughter lifted the lid on her parents’ eating habits during an appearance on the podcast Table Manners with hosts Jessie and Lennie Ware. and she revealed there are two common food items she is not allowed to eat when at Royal Lodge – onion and garlic.

“I’m not allowed onion and garlic in my parents house because they worry about the breath,” she confessed. “I’ll eat the garlic and then I’ll pop a mint in and hope and pray that no one smells me!”

Of course, they aren’t the only royals to steer clear of the cooking staples. In 2018, Queen Camilla was asked about banned Royal foods during an appearance on MasterChef Australia, and she confirmed: “I hate to say this, but garlic. Garlic is a no-no.”

Gary Mehigan, one of the judges, then asked: “So garlic is a no-no? Because you’re talking, chatting?” The Queen replied: “Yes, exactly. So you always have to lay off the garlic.”

The ban has also been confirmed by former royal chef Darren McGrady , who revealed that palace chefs are forbidden from serving food containing too much onion or garlic.

Meanwhile, it’s been reported that it was Sarah who convinced her ex-husband that they should stay at Royal Lodge this Christmas in light of the ongoing spy scandal – even at the expense of her own Sandringham invitation.

Just last year, Sarah was invited to join the Royal Family for the festive celebrations for the first time since 1991. And her delight was clear to see as she walked to church alongside her ex-husband and their daughters, warmly greeting well wishers and eagerly chatting with members of the public.

While the 65-year-old will no doubt be disappointed that she and Andrew are no longer able to attend, she remains incredibly supportive of her ex. In a new interview with the Times, which took part “before recent revelations about Prince Andrew” but published after the event, she spoke about her love for the late Queen’s second son.

“I was totally and utterly in love with Andrew. I would do it all over again, 100 per cent,” she admitted. “He’s the best, a great man with a great heart, and kind. Our wedding was the best day of my life. But I gave up my anonymity that day. I was able to because love conquers all. It’s still with us today. I won’t let him down. He supports me as much as I support him. He’s supported me through thick and thin, not just marriage or divorce. We agree on the three Cs — communication, compromise, compassion.”

Andrew and Fergie split in 1992, and divorced in 1996, but they still live together at Royal Lodge in Windsor. In the same article, Sarah’s sister Jane shared, “Sarah and Andrew are the best divorced couple I know. They’ve done it for their children; it’s incredible.”