Prince William's 'tense relationship with forgotten sister' joining Royals for Christmas

Prince William's 'forgotten' step-sister will be joining the Royal Family this Christmas. It is understood that about 45 members of the Royal Family will come together for the annual festivities in Sandringham.

It will mark one of the largest festive gatherings for the Royal Family in recent years. Prince William let slip what he would be up to during a gathering in Wiltshire for the families of the 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment.

He said: "We'll be in Norfolk, at Sandringham. We'll be 45 for Christmas. It won't be quiet, it will be noisy." Queen Camilla's daughter Laura Lopes has also received an invite, signifying a healing of alleged past anger on both sides of the blended family.

READ MORE: How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will spend Christmas this year

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It will mark the second time that art curator Laura, 46, has joined the royals for Christmas - the first time being last year. Queen Camilla and her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles, 84, share Laura and her elder brother Tom Parker Bowles, 49.

Mum-of-three Laura has a passion for art and studied art history with marketing at Oxford Brookes University before founding the fine art gallery Eleven in 2005. That same year, Camilla married Charles in a civil ceremony held close to Windsor Castle.

She and food writer Tom are step-siblings to Prince William and Prince Harry - but their bond hasn't always been easy, Mirror reports. Although they were seen laughing together at the April 2005 ceremony, William and Laura reportedly used to have 'terrible fights'.

In the 2010 book Harry and William, author Katie Nicholl wrote: "William and Laura used to have terrible fights over who was to blame for their broken homes. William would blame Camilla for all the hurt she had caused his mother [Princess Diana], which would send Laura into a rage.

"Laura was not having any of it. She would take a hard line and fire back at William 'your father has ruined my life'." In 2006, Laura married chartered accountant Harry Lopes in a Wiltshire ceremony attended by William and Harry.

Laura opted for Anna Valentine for her wedding gown, which she finished off with a diamond-encrusted tiara - a family heirloom the now-Queen Camilla wore during her first walk down the aisle. A former Calvin Klein model, Harry Lopes also has aristocratic roots.

According to Hello! magazine, Harry's is the grandson of Massey Lopes, 2nd Baron Roborough, and will one one day inherit both Gnaton Hall in Devon and Skelpick Estate, in the Scottish Highlands. Laura and Harry welcomed daughter Eliza, 16, and twins Gus and Louis, 14 - with the entire family expected to join Charles and Camilla at Christmas.

Eliza was a bridesmaid at Prince William and Princess Kate's 2011 wedding. King Charles was seen lifting her up on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to wave at the crowds below.

Gus and Louis were also Pages of Honour during the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, alongside their step-cousin Prince George. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK!: "After the year they’ve had, I’m sure it’s going to mean the world to the King and Queen to have as many of their family as possible joining them for Christmas.

"And, as the number of youngsters increases, so the celebrations become more and more child-oriented. Which is exactly what Christmas should be all about."