Prince Louis stole the show as he made his first appearance at the Sandringham Christmas Day service, delighting onlookers.
The four-year-old son of the Prince and Princess of Wales joined his parents and siblings – George, nine, and Charlotte, seven – as they filed into church behind King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort.
Several other senior royals – including the disgraced Duke of York - also attended the service at St Mary Magdalene Church, as the family gathered at their Norfolk estate for the first Christmas since 2019.
It was also the first time Charles has hosted the traditional gathering as King, following the death of his mother, in September.
Before the service, large crowds had gathered on the estate, with some camping out on Christmas Eve to be guaranteed a good vantage place to greet the royals on Christmas morning.
Others turned up in the early hours of the morning.
John Loughrey, 67, from London, queued from 7pm on Saturday with his friend Sky London, 62, to get the best spot.
The retired assistant chef said they had taken a train from London to King’s Lynn, then a bus to Sandringham where they are staying at a local hotel, around 15 minutes’ walk from the church.
Mr Loughrey, who wore a Union Jack hat, gloves and hoody, said he slept in a tinfoil blanket to ensure a place at the front of the queue.
“We were both shivering,” he said. “I couldn’t sleep properly.”
“We wanted to come here to show our appreciation to King Charles III and his Queen Consort and of course the Prince of Wales.
“It will be in King Charles’s thoughts about his mother, about her legacy, they will be thinking about it over Christmas.”
The sound of the church organ rang out as members of the Royal Family made the short walk from Sandringham House to the church just before 11am.
The King and Queen Consort led the royal party into the church, with William and Kate and their children close behind.
It was the first chance for locals to see Prince Louis attend a Sandringham Christmas service.
The young royal captured the hearts of many at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee this summer with his excited antics, particularly during the noisy flypast over Buckingham Palace.
Also in the walking group, who passed a crowd of well-wishers on the way to the church, was Prince Andrew – who withdrew from royal duties in the wake of his association with US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – and his children Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children were also in the group – as was the King’s niece Zara and her husband Mike Tindall, fresh from his recent stint on I'm A Celebrity.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who live in California, were absent. The couple have not attended a Sandringham Christmas since 2018.
Members of the royal family were greeted outside the church by the Reverend Canon Dr Paul Rhys Williams before they climbed the steps inside and 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.
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.
Miss Clark, who was in a wheelchair, said it was “absolutely brilliant” to meet William and Kate and their three children.
“I love them to bits, especially the children, the children are amazing,” she said.
“Prince Louis – I love Louis.
“He’s always cheeky, that Louis is, but I love him.”
She said she gave each of the three children a novelty toy called a gonk, which is like a festive gnome with a pointed hat. She also gave flowers to Kate.
“They said ‘thank you very much’ and ‘happy Christmas’,” Ms Clark said.
“I also met the King as well, just for a brief minute.
“The King is absolutely gorgeous, I like King Charles III, I think he’s going to be an amazing King, I really do.”
Ms Clark attended Sandringham on Christmas Day in 2019, when she gave Charlotte a plastic flamingo toy.
That year was the last one until this year that the royal family had spent at their private royal residence.
Queen Elizabeth II hosted 32 Christmases at Sandringham but was forced to cancel her annual festivities in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.
Traditionally, royal Christmases at Sandringham feature a turkey lunch at the house before the family settle down to watch TV, which this year included Charles’s first Christmas Broadcast as monarch.
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