King Charles and Queen Camilla have been joined by Prince William and Kate on Christmas Day as they take part in the festive walkabout at the royal family’s Sandringham estate.
The royal couples, accompanied by several other family members, greeted well-wishers outside St Mary Magdalene Church, where they attend the festive morning service.
William walked hand in hand with Charlotte, and Kate who wore a green coat and hat, smiled at the crowds.
Their appearance will be followed by the king’s 2024 Christmas message from Fitzrovia Chapel in central London which will be aired at 3pm.
The first people in a queue of well-wishers waiting to see members of the royal family walk to church arrived on Tuesday and camped out overnight.
Retired chef John Loughrey, 69, from Wandsworth, south London, said he and Sky London travelled by train to King’s Lynn then took a bus, arriving at Sandringham in Norfolk at 7.30pm on December 24.
“We had sleeping bags with us and a heat pad,” Mr Loughrey said. It was a bit damp last night.
“We came here for Catherine. She’s been an inspiration the last year what she’s been through. We want to support her and her family.”
About 45 members of the monarchy and their guests are expected to gather at the Norfolk estate on Wednesday, which has been the traditional Christmas meeting place for the Royals since 1988.
However, Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson are not among the attendees this year after the disgraced prince made headlines this month when it emerged he had been a “close confidante” of alleged Chinese spy Yang Tengbo.
Businessman Tengbo had paid visits to Buckingham Palace and had been invited to the Duke of York’s birthday but was later banned from entering the UK on national security grounds.
The former couple took the decision to stay away from the King’s traditional Christmas gathering at Sandringham in a bid to avoid further embarrassment for the royal family.
Since stepping down from royal duties in 2019 in the wake of his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew’s appearance at Sandringham was one of the only rare occasions he would be seen with the royal family.
He had attended on both occasions in the last two years, and also joined the late Queen and his siblings in 2019, just months after his disastrous interview with BBC Newsnight while led him to step back from public roles.
Among those celebrating at Sandringham will be his daughter Princess Beatrice, who will be attending after changing her travel plans due to medical advice, it is understood.
Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are expecting their second child due in early spring and were planning on spending the festive period overseas with the princess’ in-laws.
But she has received medical advice and been guided not to travel long distances.
The royal baby will be a little brother or sister for the couple’s three-year-old daughter Sienna, and Mr Mapelli Mozzi’s son and Beatrice’s stepson, eight-year-old Wolfie.
Beatrice’s sister Princess Eugenie and her family are planning on spending Christmas with her in-laws.
For royal fans, the Sandringham walk to church offers the opportunity to greet Prince William and Kate, as well as their three children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine and Prince Louis, six.
Earlier this year, William described the past year, in which his wife and father were treated for cancer, as “brutal”.
He said that 2024 has “probably been the hardest year in my life” and a “dreadful” experience.
Others who have joined King Charles and Camilla include Princess Anne, her daughter and son-in-law Zara and Mike Tindall, their children, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie Wessex, and their two children.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry is set to enjoy the festive period in California with his wife Meghan Markle and their two children. The couple have not celebrated Christmas at Sandringham since 2018, and have rarely been pictured with the royal family since departing for the US in 2020.
