Royal family attend Christmas Day service at Sandringham church

The King and Queen Consort were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children, as well as the Earl and Countess of Wessex

King Charles III has attended the royal family’s traditional Christmas Day church service for the first time since the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Charles, 74, and the 75-year-old Queen Consort walked the short distance from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene Church.

They were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children – nine-year-old Prince George, seven-year-old Princess Charlotte, and four-year-old Prince Louis, who walked hand in hand with Kate.

Also in the walking group, who passed a crowd of well-wishers on the way to the church, was the disgraced Duke of York.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex were also present. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who live in California, were absent.

Members of the royal family were greeted outside the church by the Reverend Canon Dr Paul Rhys Williams before they climbed the steps to the church. The National Anthem was sung before the first hymn, “O Come, All Ye Faithful”.

Members of the public who gathered outside the church listened to the service played over speakers.

The King and Queen consort lead the family (Getty Images)

They were given service sheets so they could sing along.

After the service, which lasted around 45 minutes, members of the royal family took the time to speak to some of the people who came to see them.

Among them was Gemma Clark, 42, who travelled with her 72-year-old father Paul Clark from Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, and gave toys to George, Charlotte and Louis.

Clark, who was in a wheelchair, said it was “absolutely brilliant” to meet William and Kate and their three children.

A queue of people wanting to see the royals had begun to form the day before, on Christmas Eve, with 67-year-old John Loughrey arriving at 7pm and camping out.

The Cambridge family attended the ceremony (AFP via Getty Images)

The retired assistant chef, of Streatham, south London, who wore a Union Jack hat, gloves and hoody, said he wanted to show his “appreciation” to the King and Queen Consort.

This year’s gathering at Sandringham is the first time the royal family have spent Christmas at the private royal residence in Norfolk since 2019.

The late Queen had spent the festive period at Windsor Castle for two years in a row, in 2020 and 2021, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, before her death in September this year.

On Christmas Day afternoon, the King’s first King’s Speech was broadcast, in which the royal paid tribute to his “beloved” late mother.

Additional reporting by Press Association