Royals LIVE: King Charles leads family as Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate arrive at Sandringham church for Christmas Day service
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King Charles led senior members of the Royal Family as they arrived at a church in Sandringham for the traditional Christmas Day service.
Crowds had gathered on the Norfolk estate in the early hours ahead of the King’s entrance shortly before the service began at 11am.
Led by the King, the Prince and Princess of Wales were pictured alongside their three children while Princess Beatrice arrived with her father the Duke of York uninvited this year.
Follow latest updates below
Pictured: Kate greets well wishers outside church
These photographs show Princess Kate clutching flowers as she greeted well wishers outside church following the Christmas Day service.
The Princess of Wales has recently resumed royal engagements after receiving cancer treatment.
Watch: Moment Royals arrive at Sandringham
Here is the moment King Charles led senior royals as they arrived at Sandringham for the traditional Christmas Day service.
Beatrice arrives with Prince Andrew absent
Princess Beatrice arrived at Sandringham earlier this morning with her father Prince Andrew not among the royals in attendance this year.
She was pictured at the church with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
The Duke of York has joined his family at Sandringham for the past two years but will this year spend Christmas with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson at Royal Lodge, the home they share in Windsor.
It comes as Andrew faces renewed scrutiny over his links to an alleged Chinese spy.
Kate and her children join royals on Christmas Day
Kate Middleton and her children joined the King and Queen as they attended the Christmas Day service at Sandringham today.
The cheeky trio of children were welcomed by fans of the royals who have been waiting near the church since yesterday evening.
Charles, 76, and 77-year-old Queen Camilla walked the short distance from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene Church past a crowd of well-wishers.
They were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children – Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Prince Louis.
William walked hand in hand with Charlotte, and Kate who wore a green coat and hat smiled at the crowds.
Also in the walking party was the Princess Royal and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
Here’s the moment the Royal Family arrived at the church in Sandringham for the traditional Christmas Day service.
King Charles and Queen Camilla led the family closely followed by the Prince and Princess of Wales with their children George, Charlotte and Louis.
RICHARD EDEN: Inside the highs and lows of Christmas with the Royal Family
The Royal Family’s annual Christmas at Sandringham always produces a series of pictures of poise and tradition as they all walk to church together.
But behind the polished smiles, the festive season for the family has not always been merry.
Over the years, the private estate in Norfolk has been the scene of royal rows, awkward conversations and holiday surprises.
Now the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden has studied the photo evidence of the grand event in a special Christmas episode of the new YouTube series – Reading The Royals.
He takes viewers inside the drama, delights and secrets of the annual Christmas gathering, and reveals what really goes on behind the doors of Sandringham.
King Charles to give Christmas Day speech from former hospital chapel
The Royal Family has treated fans to a behind-the-scenes glimpse of King Charles preparing to make his highly-anticipated Christmas Day speech.
The short clip shows the monarch, 76, standing in Fitzrovia Chapel as he straightens his tie and readies himself to address the country.
In a signature departure from tradition, His Royal Highness will deliver the broadcast from the former hospital chapel rather than on a royal estate, following his ongoing battle with cancer.
He will appear on TV screens on Wednesday to deliver his speech from the church, which once served as a chapel for Middlesex Hospital.
It marks the first time in 14 years that the King’s Speech has not been filmed on a royal estate.
We can now bring you more pictures of the crowds gathering today in Sandringham where the royals are attending the traditional Christmas Day church service.
Brave Kate delivers heartfelt speech as she hosts Christmas Eve carol concert
The Princess of Wales has returned to screens to host her annual Together At Christmas carol concert after her toughest year yet.
The service, which was filmed at Westminster Abbey earlier this month, is Kate’s fourth annual Christmas Eve concert and was attended by members of the royal family including Prince William and their children George, Charlotte and Louis.
Kate bravely hosted crowds with a beaming smile on her face after an incredibly difficult year in which she has completed preventative chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
At the start of her annual carol concert, Kate called for people to ‘slow down and reflect on the deeper things that connect us all’ and turn to ‘love, not fear’.
The broadcast of Kate’s service featured a special festive message from the royal, 42, in which she spoke about the importance of love and empathy.
Fergie sends Christmas message with late Queen’s corgis in tow
Sarah Ferguson has shared a Christmas message thanking everyone for their kindness and support this year as she walked the late Queen’s corgis.
The Duchess of York, wearing a black jacket and skirt, shared the video of her and the two dogs on her Instagram page on Christmas Eve.
In the video, the Duchess said the season was a time of reflection and offered ‘a huge embrace of goodness’ to all her supporters.
Her husband, Prince Andrew was gifted two of her late Majesty’s dogs on her death, yet the prince won’t walk any of them as he is too ‘demoralised’ by life.
It comes after the prince pulled out of joining the Royal Family for Christmas.
Inside a royal Christmas Day – what happens and when?
Prince William revealed last week he will spend Christmas with 45 members of his family ‘all in one room’.
Those invited to Sandringham can look forward to a mixture of the traditional and some festive fun of the Royal Family’s own making.
Members of The Firm open their presents on Christmas Eve in a nod to the family’s German origins.
They lay out their gifts on trestle tables and exchange them at teatime – and are known to enjoy giving each other novelty presents, typically buying things that are cheap and will make people laugh rather than spending a lot on big, lavish gifts.
The following day, the Royals attend the service at the Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate, where they are greeted by well-wishers, before returning for a traditional lunch of roast turkey and all the trimmings.
They sit down ready to eat at 1.15pm sharp, according to Queen Elizabeth II’s former chef Darren McGrady, who catered for Christmas at Sandringham frequently in the 1980s and 1990s.
On Christmas night, they are said to play parlour games including charades and bingo.
Crowds gather in Sandringham before royals head to church
Hello and welcome to MailOnline’s live coverage of the Royal Family on Christmas Day as crowds gather in Sandringham to catch a glimpse of King Charles.
Royal fans have been amassing in Norfolk since the early hours to see the family head to the traditional church service this morning.
The King and Queen will head to St Mary Magdalene Church accompanied by members of the Royal Family at 11am before Charles’ speech is broadcast to the nation this afternoon.
We will bring you the latest updates from the royals from throughout the day plus the best pictures and videos.
Key Updates
Beatrice arrives with Prince Andrew absent
Kate and her children join royals on Christmas Day
Pictured: Royals arrive at Sandringham church
RICHARD EDEN: Inside the highs and lows of Christmas with the Royal Family
Pictures: Christmas Day crowds in Sandringham
Inside a royal Christmas Day – what happens and when?
Crowds gather in Sandringham before royals head to church
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