King Charles and the royal family greet crowds at Sandringham Christmas Day church service

25 December 2022, 13:32 | Updated: 25 December 2022, 14:52

King Charles has taken part in the royal family's traditional Christmas Day church service for the first time since the death of his mother, the Queen.

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

They were joined by Prince William and Kate Middleton and their children - Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and four-year-old Prince Louis, who walked hand in hand with his mother.

Prince Andrew was also in the group going to church, as well as the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who live in California, were not at the service.

The royal group was greeted outside the church by the Reverend Canon Dr Paul Rhys Williams. Once inside, the congregation sang the national anthem before the first hymn, O Come, All Ye Faithful.

It came after William and Kate tweeted a picture painted by George of a reindeer, with the message "Happy Christmas!"

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.

Royal commentator Peter Hunt pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth

Traditionally, royal Christmases at Sandringham feature a turkey lunch at the house before the family settle down to watch TV, which this year will include Charles's first Christmas Broadcast as monarch.