King Charles led the way as the Royal Family marked Christmas Day by attending the traditional festive church service on the Sandringham estate.
Royal fans gathered as the Prince and Princess of Wales walked hand in hand with their children George, Charlotte and Louis from Sandringham house on their way to St Mary Magdalene Church.
They walked behind the King and Queen, who were greeted by about a thousand local residents, many of whom had waited hours on Christmas morning to catch a glimpse of the family. Prince Harry and Meghan will celebrate Christmas at their home in Los Angeles.
For the second year in succession the disgraced Duke of York walked from Sandringham to church with the family. Andrew's alleged links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will come under further scrutiny in the new year with the release of hundreds of files from a defamation case, after a ruling by a US judge.
His ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York appeared in public at Sandringham for the first time in years, walking beside her ex-husband and smiling broadly at the press. Andrew's daughters were with their husbands, Princess Beatrice with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Prince Eugenie with Jack Brooksbank.
Kate Middleton swears by £19.99 rosehip oil that helps 'reduce wrinkles & scars'
Camilla's children and grandchildren have been invited to Sandringham to for the first time, with Tom Parker Bowles and his younger sister Laura Lopes, in Norfolk.
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Once they've polished off their Christmas dinner, the royals usually settle down for an evening buffet and play games until it's time for bed.
It comes a couple of hours after the family enjoyed a brisk walk through the 20,000-acre country estate Sandringham, which is situated along the coast of Norfolk.
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The Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken of the UK's struggle with antisemitism and the suffering of children in the Israel-Hamas war in his Christmas Day sermon.
He referred to the birthplace of Jesus Christ, Bethlehem, which now sits in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Most Rev Justin Welby said: "The skies of Bethlehem are full of fear rather than angels and glory".
He said the incredibly turbulent conditions playing out at the moment in the region are similar to those seen in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus's birth.
King Charles highlighted the good work of Prince William and Kate but there was no mention of Harry and his wife Meghan Markle in speech.
Kate rules out receiving romantic gift from Prince William on Valentine's Day
The video of the speech showed Buckingham Palace in all its glory as a brass band played the national anthem from the balcony. Then a beautiful montage of photos and clips overlaid the King's words and showed him reflecting on his Coronation back in May and also touched on some of the charity work done by William and their children in 2023. Other working royals including Charles' sister Anne, his brother Edward, and his wife Sophie were also shown interacting with the public at official engagements over the year.
The obvious snubs to both Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have come after a turbulent year for the couple. They started the year with renewed tension with the King and William following the release of their bombshell Netflix docuseries. In the show, the Sussexes made several shocking and damaging claims about life inside the Royal Family.
Tensions rose when Harry hit out at his family in his debut memoir Spare in January. Then in November another book - Endgame by Omid Scobie - caused a lot of controversy and reignited the royal race row.
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King Charles III told of his pride at how Brits "protect the Earth and our natural world" in his Christmas speech.
The monarch used his address, only his second since taking to the throne in September 2022, to remind Brits to continue to be green "for the sake of our children's children". In the traditional message, broadcast today on both BBC1 and ITV1, Charles also praised the United Kingdom as a kind and caring country.
He said: "Over this past year my heart has been warmed by countless examples of the imaginative ways in which people are caring for one another - going the extra mile to help those around them simply because they know it is the right thing to do: at work and at home; within and across communities."
And Charles too mirrored this behaviour by gifting around 1,500 members of staff, from those in the Palaces to those in the Palace police and Court Post Office, a Christmas pudding this year. It was a tradition Queen Elizabeth II did, as did both her father, King George VI and her grandfather, George V.
The full text is here.
The King has used his Christmas message to praise Britain’s "selfless army" of volunteers serving communities across the country.
In his second speech to the nation, recorded at Buckingham Palace for the first time of his reign, Charles described the thousands of community heroes as the "essential backbone of our society". The monarch implored the nation to learn from the community stalwarts he chose among the guests for his coronation in May this year, saying they embodied the “call to us all to serve one another".
In a speech heavily laden with religious significance, Charles referenced conflicts around the world such as the Israel-Hamas war and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, suggesting we should recognise one of the central tenets of Christianity: “Do to others as you would have them do to you".
King Charles may well decide to change some of the culinary traditions of the royal family (Getty Images)There is just half an hour to go until the King's second-ever Christmas speech.
The monarch’s Christmas Day speech is traditionally broadcast at 3pm and typically lasts for ten minutes.
It is usually available to watch on BBC One, BBC Two, ITV One and Sky One and available to watch later on iPlayer and ITVX.
A 100-year-old nan has told how she has tried not to miss a Royal Christmas speech since she was nine-years-old.
When Carrie Williams, from West Kirby, Merseyside, was born, a pint of milk cost around seven pence, Stanley Baldwin was Prime Minister, George V was King and it would be another nine years before he would give the first ever Christmas speech.
A Christmas speech by the monarch, first broadcast on radio and later on television, has become a quintessential part of Christmas Day for many families but when it started the King was hesitant about the idea.
The idea of a Christmas Speech by the King was thought of by one of the founders of the BBC; John Reith in 1932 and which King George agreed to in July. The two and a half minute speech was broadcast at 3pm, a time chosen as the best to reach across what was then the British Empire, which has remained the time ever since. The broadcast reached over 20m listeners and a new tradition was born.
It's a tradition Carrie has known since the beginning, she said: "I've tried to see every Christmas speech since 1932. I've been in love with the Royal Family since I was a little girl because of the example of their lives." She continued: "I grew up with 11 people in my family and nobody ever wanted to listen to the Christmas speech but I couldn't miss it. I always said I want to be back for the Queen or King and I want to listen to every word. It means a lot to me."
Sarah Ferguson was publicly back at the heart of the Royal Family after joining the King and Queen at church on Christmas Day
The Duchess of York, who has had a troubled relationship with the monarchy, was pictured smiling and glancing towards the waiting media as she walked beside her ex-husband, the disgraced Duke of York.
It has been decades since Sarah made the short walk from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene Church with royals - normally reserved for close family - but in recent years it is thought she has been a guest for Christmas lunch.
She has won plaudits in recent months for her battle with breast cancer, praised for speaking openly about her treatment and setting an example for other women to get screened.
It is thought the last time she was pictured walking to church with Queen Elizabeth was in the early 1990s. For the second year in succession, Andrew made the walk from Sandringham to church with the other royals - symbolic of his gradual rehabilitation within the monarchy.
(Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)The Duke of York laughed with the crowd after attending church with the other royals.
He was pictured with fans who appeared delighted to see him and many took photos.
The disgraced Duke was joined by his ex-wife at St Mary Magdalene’s on the Sandringham grounds this morning, along with the King and Queen and the Wales family.
Prince Andrew stepped down from royal duties and the Queen stripped him of his military affiliations and patronages in the wake of a sex scandal. He denied the allegations against him and later came to an out of court settlement, reportedly worth £12 million with his accuser Virginia Giuffre. The settlement is not an admission of guilt. Prince Andrew continues to deny any wrongdoing.
(AFP via Getty Images)A former Palace chef claims the royals have a "boring" festive menu.
Following the Christmas service, the royals will now be heading back to tuck into their lunch but they will not be having the luscious banquet that some might expect.
Formal royal chef Darren McGrady, who originally worked at the Savoy Hotel in London, cooked for the Royal Family for 15 years and he fondly remembers Christmas Day, mostly because of how exceptionally normal it was.
He explained: "It was the same meal every year. They're actually boring when it comes to festivities. They didn't do hams or anything, just traditional turkeys. We did three turkeys for the Queen and her family in the royal dining room, one for the children's nursery and then more for the 100 or so staff, so everyone had a Christmas lunch."
Mr McGrady added: "The turkey is served with mashed and roast potatoes, chestnut or sage and onion stuffing, cranberry sauce and bread sauce. Vegetables include brussels sprouts, carrots and roast parsnips."
For dessert, the royals tuck into a traditional homemade Christmas pudding which is served after the main meal and is "decorated in holly, doused in brandy, and the palace steward would carry it, flaming, into the royal dining room" according to the chef.
A festive tipple is also a must on the big day with Mr McGrady revealing that the late Queen always opted for a classic gin and dubonnet cocktail before she sat down to enjoy her meal. The former royal chef adds that Her Majesty would also have a glass of the sweet and aromatic German white wine gewurztraminer with her food.
Fans had the chance to see the royal children at close quarters and enjoying Christmas.
Prince George, Charlotte and Louis all looked smart as William and Kate’s kids smiled for the crowd at Sandringham.
Mia Tindell was also pictured mingling with them and walking alongside Charlotte in one photo.
(PA)Kate Middleton met members of the public and smiled for photos following the traditional church service.
Looking elegant in a dark navy coat, boots and a matching hat, she chatted with the crowd and carried flowers that had been given to her.
(Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)Sarah Ferguson has posted an Instagram photo of her smiling with her children Beatrice and Eugenie.
They can be seen walking down a street in the image which has been shared on Christmas Day. Fergie wrote: “We are enjoying each other’s company and feeling grateful today. I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Happy Christmas to anyone who celebrates and season’s greetings to all!”
The Royal Family can be seen leaving church on the Sandringham estate and chatting with members of the public.
All looked in good spirits as they mingled following the service at St Mary Magdalene’s church. Many royal fans were delighted to watch on and see them at close quarters with most members of the public from the local area but there were also people from overseas including the United States.
(PA)Royal fans were full of smiles and took photos as King Charles and Camilla walked past along with other members of the Royal Family.
Charles looked relaxed as he strolled along wearing a camel cashmere coat by Anna Valentine and the late Queen's raspberry pip brooch. He and the other royals attended the traditional Christmas church service on the Sandringham estate.
He and Camilla both carried umbrellas but fortunately the rain held off for their occasion.
(PA)Prince Louis melted hearts as he sweetly held hands with Mia Tindall as they led the royals on their traditional Christmas Day walk to church at Sandringham.
It is the second time Louis has joined the rest of the royals for the service and he rocked tartan trousers as he clutched the hands of his dad Prince William and the oldest daughter of Mike and Zara Tindall. His older sister Princess Charlotte held hands with mum the Princess of Wales, with Prince George walking alongside looking smart in a suit.
Shortly before 11am, the royals began making their way to church with among those spotted being the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward and Sophie, Princess Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank and Princess Anne and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence. Also making a surprise appearance at church was Sarah Ferguson alongside disgraced ex-husband Prince Andrew.
King Charles led the way alongside Queen Camilla in a camel cashmere coat by Anna Valentine and the late Queen's raspberry pip brooch, with William, Kate and their children following behind. Kate looked elegant in dark navy coat, boots and a matching hat.
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(Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have been spotted attending the Royal Family's Christmas Day church service.
The disgraced Duke was joined by his ex-wife at St Mary Magdalene’s on the Sandringham grounds this morning, along with the King and Queen and the Wales family.
Prince Andrew stepped down from royal duties and the Queen stripped him of his military affiliations and patronages in the wake of a sex scandal. He denied the allegations against him and later came to an out of court settlement, reportedly worth £12 million with his accuser Virginia Giuffre. The settlement is not an admission of guilt. Prince Andrew continues to deny any wrongdoing.
His attendance at church with the royals comes as he faces even more accusations of sexual assault. Johanna Sjoberg, 42, has accused him of groping her with with the alleged sexual assault was said to have taken place at Jeffrey Epstein’s New York mansion back in March 2001, according to deposition comments, The Sun reported. Prince Andrew denies the allegations.
(Sky News)King Charles and Camilla led the Royal Family as they made their traditional walk for a Christmas church service at the Sandringham estate.
The royals have gathered to celebrate Christmas in Norfolk and the King's speech will be broadcast at 3pm.
(Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)Prince William and Kate could be seen smiling at the crowd along with their children who had come to see the royals at Sandringham.
People came early to catch a glimpse of the royals as they attended a Christmas service at St Mary Magdalene’s church.
Kevin and Penny Oldfield were among the royal fans who were watching them at Sandringham for a second time.
Mr Oldfield told the Telegraph: “We are patriotic, I served in the Royal Navy for 20 years and last year I had a conversation with Prince Andrew as he saw my medal ribbon and asked me about it. Sandringham is just the ideal place to come and see the Royals, you can’t get as close anywhere else.”
(Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)King Charles can be seen at the head of the royal group as they make their way to St Mary Magdalene’s on the Sandringham grounds.
Behind him is Prince William and Kate with their three children. The Royal Family appeared in good spirits ahead of the Christmas service as they chatted. Sarah Ferguson could be seen talking with other royals with Prince Andrew looking on.
Traditionally the royals greet members of the public as they walk past after the service and there are large crowds gathered.
Members of the Royal Family arrived for the Christmas service at Sandringham.
— ChristinZ (@ChristinsQueens) December 25, 2023
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A protester with a Palestinian flag could be seen speaking to police at the Sandringham estate.
The man was among other members of the public who had come to see the Royal Family as they attended a Christmas service at St Mary Magdalene’s on the Sandringham grounds.
Many people were waiting to catch the chance to greet the royals as they walk by with some saying that they had left home as early as 4am to be there.
(Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)King Charles' second Christmas Day speech as monarch is nearly upon us. Royal fans and critics alike are waiting to hear how he will reflect on the year which has passed.
Last year, it was King Charles' first King's Christmas Day speech in nearly seventy years, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. He said: "Christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones. We feel their absence at every familiar turn of the season and remember them in each cherished tradition."
Charles' festive broadcast is set to be broadcast at 3pm in keeping with tradition. It will be shown on BBC One, BBC Two, ITV, and Sky News. On BBC One, the broadcast will be followed by a screening of Toy Story 4. Meanwhile, In For a Christmas Penny will follow the broadcast on ITV.
For those looking to watch online, the Christmas address has also been streamed on the Royal Family YouTube Channel and Facebook page in the past.
Prince Harry looked back fondly on his Christmases at Sandringham, so there's no doubt he'll think of how his absence could affect his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, says a royal expert.
Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have spent Christmas in California for some time now, but Harry has previously spoken about how much he enjoyed Christmas with the Royal Family at Sandringham, and reports have claimed that he hopes to return with his children, so they will be able to spend the day with their extended family.
BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond says that Harry will use this Christmas to look back and "reflect on what he and his children are missing out on back in the UK." She said: "We do know from his book that Harry's thoughts sometimes turn to happier times... or at least different times, when the family was all together for celebrations or milestone events.
"He seemed to think back fondly of those days, when he and he is father were really quite close and he got along pretty well with William. So we know that he is not without feelings for his family."
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have been pictured looking relaxed in a new Christmas photo released by Kensington Palace.
William and Kate’s children can be seen sitting on a bench with Charlotte in the middle and her arms around her brothers. All three are wearing white tops and smiling for the camera. The photo is captioned: “Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, from our family to yours! W & C.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales used another black and white image of themselves and their three children for their Christmas card. In that photo they all wear black trousers and shoes, and white shirts. Kate, William and George can be seen standing in the background, with the Princess standing between her husband and her eldest son. Louis stands in front of William, who puts his right hand on his shoulder.
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Members of the Royal Family are at church in Sandringham as they celebrate Christmas together with the King’s speech broadcast at 3pm.
Royals could be seen heading into St Mary Magdalene’s on the Sandringham grounds. The Norfolk estate was the late Queen’s favourite December retreat and she held every Christmas there from 1998.
The royals traditionally greet members of the public who have come out to see them at the church service and then they head for a turkey lunch.
And at 3pm the King will speak to the nation in a broadcast from Buckingham Palace.
(Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)People have been pictured at Sandringham waiting to see the Royal Family as they head to church.
There is a large gathering at the estate to see the royals who have gone for the traditional Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene.
Prince Charles and Princess Anne led as they walked past the watching public and they are now inside the church.
(Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)Prince Harry is reportedly working on releasing a new book, but it won't be anything like his tell-all Spare.
The 39-year-old's explosive memoir, which was released in January, was announced as the best-selling of 2023 in the UK, according to Amazon. The hugely controversial book documented all aspects of his life, including his fractious relationship with his father, King Charles, and his turbulent sibling rivalry with big brother Prince William.
Now, experts believe that Harry is aiming to "soften" the public image of him and his wife with the help of a new book, and have insinuated that, for starters, it won't be as "cut throat" as Spare was.
Expert Christina Garibaldi told the Daily Express: "It seems like they are moving forward in a positive direction. They have a lot of things coming up, Prince Harry is working on another book.
"As we know, he has a four-book deal so there will be another one coming. Meghan is working on her philanthropy, they are said to be in high demand so hopefully the tide shift and they're continuing to do work that we want to talk about." She continued: "We just want to see them doing the good work, their philanthropic work, hear about their charitable projects, maybe not juicy tell-alls.
"I'm interested to see what those other books are going to be because we've definitely exhausted the sort of 'spilling the secret, telling my side of the story' thing. I'd rather be talking about the good work they're doing, the charities they are supporting rather than the court cases and the dirty secrets."
Read more here.
Princess Kate's festive jumper left fans speechless after they found out its price tag.
The Princess of Wales took part in her Together at Christmas carol service that aired on Christmas Eve on ITV. In the show, Kate returned to Westminster Abbey to host a special Christmas carol service and raised awareness of the importance of early childhood. She also attended a festive tea party to celebrate those mentoring children.
The Princess' outfit caught attention from viewers as she looked gorgeous in a red cardigan and red trousers. Yet many couldn't believe the real cost of her festive red jumper. Kate had chosen to wear a £1,350 Miu Miu cardigan for the occasion, which she complimented with Cassandra Goad pearl earrings.
The mum-of-three kept her hair in her signature loose waves. Her jumper featured a diamond pattern embellished with white and black roses, accentuated by a detachable cotton collar. Fans took to social media to share their surprise at its price tag, as one said: “A sweater for £1350?!!” Another added: “She looks great but this sweater is too expensive. Stop making rich people richer. This causes starvation.
It isn't the first time Kate has worn the red jumper, as for her 2021 Together at Christmas carol service she wore it to decorate Westminster Abbey. She chose to wear it alongside Roland Mouret's black wide-leg trousers and Kiki McDonough heart-shaped earrings. After she was seen debuting the red cardigan, it sold out across Miu Miu's website and platforms including Net-A-Porter and Farfetch. Read more here.
Kate Middleton looked gorgeous in her festive inspired outfitKing Charles is to give his second Christmas message from Buckingham Palace in front of a live tree decorated with sustainable ornaments.
The message to be broadcast at 3 pm is today will be his first since his coronation in May. The natural decorations adorning the tree were made from wood, dried oranges, brown glass, pine cones and paper. The tree will later be replanted, the Palace says.
Charles has promoted environmental causes, such as protecting wildlife and combating climate change long before it became popular, throughout much of his life. He spoke at the beginning of the month at the UN's COP28 climate summit in Dubai.
Last year, in his first Christmas message as monarch, Charles evoked memories of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and paid tribute to the "selfless dedication" of Britain's public service workers.
While Elizabeth delivered her address from a desk, Charles last year stood by a Christmas tree at the church on the grounds of Windsor Castle where his parents are buried. This year, he will speak from a room in Buckingham Palace that leads to the balcony where members of the royal family assembled after his coronation ceremony.
Roman Kemp paid tribute to his late godfather George Michael during ITV's Together At Christmas event.
The One Show presenter's parents Shirlie Holliman and Martin Kemp were actually set up by the late Wham! singer, with the couple even deciding to make the Last Christmas singer their first-born's godfather when Roman arrived into the world in 1993 - a role George cherished.
Read the full story here.
