King Charles has arrived at the Sandringham Estate ahead of the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations.
The Royal Standard was seen flying at the estate on Thursday 22 December, marking the arrival of the King.
“Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort accompanied by Members of the Royal Family will attend the Morning Service on Christmas Day at Sandringham Church,” the palace confirmed earlier this week.
This is the first Christmas in three years that King Charles and Queen Consort, Camilla, have been at Sandringham, due to the pandemic.
Throughout her reign, Queen Elizabeth II hosted 32 Christmases at Sandringham, which has been the private home of British monarchs for more than 160 years.
This year, The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, and the Princess Royal and her family, are expected to celebrate Christmas at the Norfolk estate.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn, are also expected to attend, while King Charles’ youngest son and daughter-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are not.
Over the last two Christmases, the Queen spent her time at Windsor Castle. The first year, 2020, she was with the Duke of Edinburgh, due to the pandemic restrictions, and the last year she was alone following his death.
Members of the Royal Family attending the Sandringham celebrations usually attend a service at St Mary Magdalene Church in the morning. They then walk back to the house and greet crowds who have come to see them.
This year, police have advised people planning to greet the royals outside of the church to arrive early. Security measures and traffic control will be in place as usual, Norfolk Police confirmed.
We could expect to see Prince Louis join his family in the Sandringham walkabout this Christmas.
Emily Nash, Royal Editor at HELLO! said: “Prince Louis is now the same age his sister Princess Charlotte was when she did her first Christmas Day walkabout after church on Christmas Day, so royal fans will be hoping to catch a glimpse of him with his siblings and parents this year.”
You can read about King Charles’ Christmas Day address here.
