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King Charles and Queen Camilla greeted crowds outside St Mary Magdalene church on the Sandringham estate after the royal family attended their annual Christmas morning church service.
Charles and Camilla led the family on the short walk to the church from Sandringham House for the service, which started at 11am. They were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, who stopped to speak to well-wishers and gather up gifts and flowers after the service had finished at around midday.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was absent for a second year, having been stripped of his titles this year in a dramatic fall from grace.
His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson was also absent from the Sandringham party, but both their children Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were present with their husbands.
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The service is held at at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate (PA)
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The Prince and Princess of Wales walk to church with their children (AP)
Hundreds braved the elements on the cold but sunny Christmas Day morning in Norfolk to watch as the royal family were greeted by Rev Canon Dr Paul Williams on the church steps.
Both Camilla and the Princess Royal opted for bright red coats for their Christmas day outing, with Camilla opting for black gloves with fur decoration.
King Charles was wearing a camel-coloured overcoat and waved at members of the public who lined the walk-way.
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Well-wishers wait for members of Britain’s Royal Family to arrive to attend the traditional Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church (AFP via Getty Images)
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Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi attending the Christmas Day morning church service (PA)
The Prince and Princess of Wales were towards the back of the party walking down the drive as they headed to church, guiding their children Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince Louis.
The family stopped to speak to those gathered after the service finished. Kate shook the hands of those waiting and shared a few words with those who sat in wheelchairs at the front of the crowd. She gathered up flowers in her arms, gifted to her by well-wishers.
She was wearing a brown-check coat, with matching brown gloves and fascinator. George, Charlotte and Louise also received handfuls of gifts.
Future King George clutched a soft toy as did his younger brother Louis, while Charlotte could be seen reaching over to collect a present.
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Jack Brooksbank and Princess Eugenie join the royal family at the church service (PA)
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Princess Charlotte clutched a bouquet of flowers in her arms as she greeted crowds in Norfolk (AFP via Getty Images)
Charlotte gave one royal fan in a wheelchair a hug reaching down to embrace the woman who was wrapped in a blanket to keep warm.
Kate and Charlotte delighted TV viewers last night with a video of them performing a piano duet for a Christmas carol service.
The performance of a piece of music by Scottish composer Erland Cooper was pre-recorded at Windsor Castle for the Together at Christmas broadcast on ITV1.
Accompanying the young family at Sandringham were Princess Anne and husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall and her husband, former England rugby player Mike Tindall.
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Catherine, Princess of Wales (C), holds hands with Prince Louis (L) and Princess Charlotte (AFP via Getty Images)
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Princess Charlotte attends the Christmas Day morning church service along with her family (PA)
Andrew, who last went to the Christmas Day service in 2023, is expected to move to Norfolk in the new year.
The former prince will move out of Royal Lodge in Windsor to an undisclosed property on the Sandringham estate, which is privately owned by his brother Charles. Andrew has been frozen out of the royal family over his relationship with the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
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The Prince of Wales (back left) and Prince George (back right) with Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Mia Tindall and the Princess of Wales (PA)
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Prince Louis leaving the Christmas Day morning church service (PA)
Only this week more details emerged of the apparent extent of his relationship with the disgraced financier Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell.
New released documents revealed a series of emails written by an “A” in Balmoral to Maxwell, asking whether she had found them any “inappropriate friends”.
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Princess of Wales waves to crowds as she leaves the church service (Reuters)
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Princess Eugenie (L), Princess Beatrice (2L), Prince William, Prince of Wales (C), Princess Charlotte of Wales (C) and Catherine, Princess of Wales (R) leave after attending the Royal Family’s traditional Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church (AFP/Getty)
Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson has also had a turbulent year as she was dropped as a patron or ambassador by seven charities.
It came after newspapers published a 2011 email from Ms Ferguson to Epstein in which she appeared to describe him as a “supreme friend”.
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Members of the public wait for the royals to arrive at St Mary Magdalene (PA)
St Mary Magdalene, in its present form, dates back to the 16th Century and is used by the Royal Family when they are in residence at Sandringham. The church has also been used a site of celebration, such as for Princess Charlotte’s christening.
King Edward VII started the tradition of spending Christmas on the Sandringham Estate.
After attending the church, the royal family will get together to watch the King’s speech at 3pm, which will be delivered this year from a chapel in Westminster Abby.
The King’s Christmas message comes after Charles shared “good news” about his cancer in a personal message earlier this month.
He said that early diagnosis and “effective intervention” means that his treatment can be reduced in the new year. Buckingham Palace said that Charles had “responded exceptionally well to treatment”, and doctors were now moving “into a precautionary phase”.
