Royal Family in Sandringham: King, Queen, William and Kate attend Christmas Day service

The King and Queen have arrived at a Christmas Day church service at Sandringham, with the Prince and Princess of Wales and other royals by their side.

Excited crowds, some who had been gathered for hours, watched on as the monarch and his family headed into St Mary Magdalene Church in Norfolk.

It was announced last week that Prince Andrew would not attend the annual gathering after an alleged Chinese spy, named following a High Court judgement, was found to have been linked to the Duke of York.

The annual service is taking place hours before the King’s Christmas message airs – it will be delivered from a former hospital chapel, in a year that has seen the monarch undergo cancer treatment.

The King, Queen Camilla, Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales were joined by the prince and princess’s three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

Also in the walking party were the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their children Lady Louise Windsor and the Earl of Wessex.

The Royals were greeted at the foot of the steps of the church by the Reverend Canon Dr Paul Rhys Williams. Inside, the National Anthem was sung before the first hymn, O Come, All Ye Faithful.

The Christmas morning church service is a big event in the royal calendar, bringing together the Royal Family for a public appearance, with crowds and photographers capturing the moment.

Afterwards, the royals spend Christmas at their Sandringham estate, which has been the customary seasonal meeting place for the family since 1988.

Shelly from Shrewsbury in Shropshire said she had joined the crowds for the first time this year to support the King and Catherine.

Earlier this year, the pair announced their cancer diagnoses within weeks of each other – the King in February and the princess the following month.

“I was spending Christmas on my own and I wanted to turn a negative into a positive and I wanted to be here, really, for Catherine and Charles because of the journey that they’ve had,” Shelly told the BBC.

“She [Catherine]’s had a really tough year, and I just want to give my support”.

Also in the crowd was Diane from Oldham who shook hands with the King, Prince William and Catherine and their youngest son Prince Louis.

She told the BBC that it meant a lot to her as an ovarian cancer survivor to speak to the royals.

Diane said she was able to wish the King and Catherine good health for the new year, and says she has written to Catherine multiple times about cancer and has had “lovely replies”.

“People don’t realise how it [cancer] does affect you as a family, so I wanted to be here to see the whole family and see them celebrate Christmas.”

While Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah, the Duchess of York did not attend the service, their daughter Princess Beatrice – accompanied by her husband, property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and his son Christopher Woolf from a previous marriage – did.

Prince Andrew’s absence was confirmed after Yang Tengbo, also known as Chris Yang, was named as being an alleged Chinese spy who had been banned from entering the UK.

The man, reported to have been part of an operation to get close to figures of influence, was described by judges of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission court as having an “unusual degree of trust” with the prince.

Prince Andrew’s office said nothing sensitive had ever been discussed with Mr Yang.

The prince is seldom seen in public since apologising for his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and no longer takes part in frontline royal duties.

Later on Christmas Day, the monarch’s traditional speech will be broadcast as usual on television and radio at 15:00 GMT.

It was recorded earlier this month in the Fitzrovia Chapel, central London, and marks the first time in more than a decade that the Christmas message has been recorded from a place that is not in a royal palace or estate.

The location suggests that healthcare and supporting community links could be themes for the annual speech.

Kensington Palace released a video in September which showed Catherine announcing that she had completed her chemotherapy treatment, and promoted the message that “out of darkness can come light”.

She recently marked her biggest return to royal duties after finishing chemotherapy by hosting a carol service at Westminster Abbey. The event was dedicated to individuals who have shown love, kindness and empathy to their communities.

Meanwhile, the King’s regular sessions of treatment continue, but as a sign of a positive response – he has plans for a busy schedule of engagements and overseas trips in 2025.