King Charles III and the Queen Consort led the Royal Family at the traditional Christmas Day church service at Sandringham today, marking their first Christmas since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s death. The Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four, were also in attendance, much to the delight of royal fans.
Kate, 40, looked elegant despite the chilly weather and wrapped up in a forest green Alexander McQueen coat and a wide-brimmed hat for the outing to St Mary Magdalene Church, on the grounds of the royal estate in Norfolk. The Royal Family turned out in force for the outing, with the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, also present, as well as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Zara and Mike Tindall and their daughters. Prince Andrew, who rarely attends public engagements since stepping back from royal life in the wake of his 2019 Newsnight interview, was also in attendance.
The Princess of Wales set the sartorial tone with her chic hat, with fellow royal women including the Queen Consort, the Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise Windsor, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Zara Tindall also donning elegant headwear.
This Christmas will mark the second since the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Like last year, the monarch will be continuing a number of beloved royal traditions, from attending church on Christmas morning to broadcasting a heartfelt message to his subjects
King Charles III has continued his mother’s tradition of spending Christmas holed up at their Sandringham estate, where the family gathers for gifts, parlour games and a lavish feast prepared by royal chefs. At the centre of the festivities is the trip to church.
Members of the Royal Family arrive either by car or on foot and typically greet well-wishers who have taken time out of their own Christmas Days in order to share some festive cheer with the royals (some have even been lucky enough to snap pictures).
Despite the Christmas fun brought by younger members of the family including Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, this Christmas will undoubtedly be a time of pause and reflection for the royals as they remember the lasting legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who died in September.
Princess Catherine has been named Colonel of the Irish Guards, taking over the role from her husband Prince William – who was promoted to his father’s former role upon the death of the Queen
King Charles III is set to pay tribute to his mother in his first Christmas Day address as monarch this afternoon, while the Princess of Wales honoured her lifetime of service in her Together at Christmas carol service, which was recorded earlier this month and broadcast on ITV on Christmas Eve.
