Learning the ropes! George, Charlotte, Louis and cousin Mia Tindall join William and Kate to greet well-wishers outside church – as King and Queen are joined by almost all the family for Sandringham Christmas…while Harry and Meghan stay away

Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and cousin Mia Tindall have joined William and Kate to greet well-wishers outside the morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk. 

The young royals looked confident as they mingled with the public outside the ceremony with George and Charlotte seen affably chatting with members of the public. 

Louis, 5, was seen being escorted around the estate by Prince William who was also seen helping young Mia Tindall – the daughter of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall.  

The private Norfolk estate will once again host the traditional royal festivities, with most of the family present – except for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are spending the day in LA with their children, Prince Louis and Princess Lilibet.

The King and Queen, along with the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, waved to well-wishers while attending a Christmas Eve service at the church on Sunday.

Royal Christmases traditionally feature the greeting of people outside the church, and a family lunch with turkey and all the trimmings.

The Prince and Princess of Wales attend church with their children, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, who holds the hand of Mia Tindall

Prince Louis grinned as he shared a joke with Mia Tindall on Christmas morning

George, Mia and Charlotte were seen exchanging a joke at the corner of the meet and greet 

Prince William was on hand to help Louis greet the well-wishers who had waited hours for a glimpse of the royals 

Prince George was all smiles as he greeted the public outside the church 

Prince George looked adept in the role as he was guided in his duties by Kate

Louis and Mia Tindall proved their close bond as they made their way around the event 

The Princess of Wales put a comforting arm around Prince Louis as they arrived to church on Monday

The King and Queen are to celebrate Christmas Day alongside other members of the royal family at Sandringham

Sandringham House has been the private home of four generations of British monarchs for more than 160 years, and now belongs to the King.

King Charles was seen waving at the crowds who had gathered outside the Norfolk church to wish him and his family well this Christmas, walking alongside Queen Camilla.

The Princess of Wales smiled broadly as she walked to the church wearing an elegant blue coat and matching hat, holding her daughter Princess Charlotte’s hand. 

Her younger brother Prince Louis joined the rest of his family, and held his second-cousin’s Mia Tindall’s hand as they prepared to attend the service.

He grinned cheekily at the crowds and shared a joke with Mia, nine, who wore a long purple coat.

Their appearance side-by-side, with the rest of her family following behind, suggests a burgeoning friendship between the pair.

Zara and Mike Tindall held the hands of their other daughter Lena, while their youngest child Lucas, two, stayed at home. 

The mother-of-three wore a long green coat, complete with a bespoke gold headband by Juliette Botterill.

On his other side, Prince William also held his son’s hand while Prince George dressed in a navy blue suit, walked alongside his sister. 

Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank leave after attending the Christmas day service

Kate was seen steering Louis as they left the church this morning 

King Charles waved to the crowds as he and Queen Camilla walked to the small chapel

Prince Louis of Wales and Mia Tindall attend the Christmas Morning Service at Sandringham Church on December 25

The Princess of Wales held her daughter Princess Charlotte’s hand on the way to the church service

Queen Camilla greeted around 1,000 wellwishers outside the church today

Kate and Charlotte smile at the crowds gathered to see the royal family this Christmas

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh joined the rest of their family at church this morning

The Princess Royal arrives at the church for this morning’s service at Sandringham

Lady Louise Windsor accompanies her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, to church

Prince Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson also joined the rest of the royal family on Monday

Jack Brooksbank and Princess Eugenie attending the Christmas Day morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk

Zara Tindall, Lena Tindall and Mike Tindall followed behind their Mia, who walked alongside Prince Louis

Kate, dressed entirely in blue, with Princess Charlotte, who donned a long green coat

The Princess of Wales briefly placed a comforting arm around Prince Louis’ shoulders before entering the 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.

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.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh joined the rest of the royals on their way to the church. The Duchess of Edinburgh wore a bespoke version of the Claire Mischevani Kristen coat.

After the service, the royal family spoke to members of the public who had gathered outside the church.

The Duchess of Edinburgh smiles as she passes crowds of people on her way to church

Prince Andrew (left) joined his family alongside ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and their daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie

Lena Tindall walked between her parents Mike and Zara Tindall

Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones and the Earl of Snowdon attending the Christmas Day morning church service

Members of the royal family join the King and Queen for a Christmas service at Sandringham

Charles’s second Christmas message as monarch will be broadcast at 3pm, and this year it was recorded in the Centre Room in Buckingham Palace which leads on to the royal residence’s iconic balcony.

The room is decorated with a living Christmas tree which will be replanted after the broadcast.

From its branches hang natural and sustainable decorations including hand-turned wood, dried oranges, glass baubles, pine cones and paper.

Charles, like Queen Elizabeth II, writes his Christmas broadcasts and last year he followed his mother’s well-established template, a personal reflection on the year, touching on current issues and with a Christian framework.

The King will give his second annual King’s speech, with a focus on the environment.

It marks a turn away from typically apolitical speeches given by his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth. 

The King appears to be recycling his speech suit – he was pictured in the same blue single-breasted design he wore for last year’s Christmas message. 

He has previously emphasised the importance of re-wearing clothes, saying ‘people throw so much away when they could easily mend’. 

A BBC documentary about the King’s first year on the throne, to be broadcast on Boxing Day and produced by the Mail’s Robert Hardman, will show behind-the-scenes footage from last year’s Christmas broadcast, which was seen by 10.6 million viewers in the UK.

The film opens on December 13, 2022, at Windsor Castle, and features the King saying of the message: ‘Well I did it all really.’ That speech was recorded at St George’s Chapel and featured a moving tribute to his late mother, who is laid to rest there.