Moment helpful cousins Princess Charlotte and Mia Tindall take flowers from Kate Middleton while Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson joke with crowds after Sandringham church service

Princess Charlotte and Mia Tindall proved they are the shining stars of the next generation of royals as they lent a hand to the Princess of Wales as she greeted crowds today. 

The second cousins, aged eight and nine respectively, looked like the best of friends as they walked together and said hello to well-wishers who braved the cold to greet members of the Firm at Sandringham on Christmas morning.

Dozens of members of the family joined the King and Queen to attend the St Mary Magdalene church service, including Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, who made her first appearance at the service in three decades.   

Ignoring any royal drama, the Duke and Duchess of York,  also joked with crowds, while Kate yet again showed she was a queen-in-waiting as she spoke to members of the public. 

‘Thank you so much, that’s very sweet of you,’ the Princess of Wales told one well wisher.

She then told dozens of royal fans a ‘merry Christmas‘, she was then followed by Prince William and Prince George, who shook hands with dozens of fans.

As she was greeting the public, Mia Tindall, the daughter of Zara and Mike, walked up to the 41-year-old royal and took a bouquet of flowers from her.

Princess Charlotte then joined her mother and handed her a single red rose – before she herself was given a bunch of flowers by a member of the public who wished her well.

They were then joined by Prince William and a beaming Prince Louis, five, in greeting the public.

The Duchess of Edinburgh and Lady Louise Windsor then followed, before Princess Margaret’s grandchildren the Chattos, the Tindalls and Princess Anne all greeted fans.

Surprisingly, Prince Andrew also paused and joked ‘oh, I shall stop’.

Earlier in the day, Prince Louis sweetly held hands with his second cousin Mia, nine, as he joined the rest of the royal family at Sandringham on Christmas Day.

Little Louis was joined by Prince George, 10,  Princess Charlotte as well  and his mother and father at the royal residence.

The Princess of Wales dressed in an Alexander McQueen coat, was followed by Zara and Mike’s daughter as she picked up flowers from crowd. 

Mia’s sister Lena, five, walked behind the Wales’ holding hands with her mother Zara and father, former England rugby ace Mike.

Her younger brother Lucas, two, stayed at home.

Holding hands with her mother, Charlotte looked festive in a bottle green coat with her hair tied back into plaits.

Meanwhile, George, walking solo, appeared very grown up in a smart suit.

Adorable Louis – who often steals the limelight with his cheeky displays – took part in his first ever Christmas Day walkabout last year. 

Today, he opted for tweed trousers and a navy coat.

Joining the king and queen was the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Zara and Mike Tindall and Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stayed in California. 

The Princess of Wales beamed with happiness as she walked to the service alongside her husband, ahead of the other members of the Royal Family. 

She looked elegant in her festive get-up as she waved to the well-wishers who have travelled to Norfolk today. 

Hundreds of well-wishers have been queuing since the early hours to catch a glimpse of the royals, and waved excitedly as the King and Queen Consort made their way to the church.  

Prince Harry has remained in the US with Meghan and their two children Archie and Lilibet – despite recent hopes of a thaw in relations between King Charles and his youngest son. 

The royal festivities usually start when everyone arrives on Christmas Eve. The family open presents, some of which are gag gifts – one of the Royal Family’s traditions. 

The family then attend services at Saint Mary Magdalene Church on Christmas morning.  Once they get home Christmas lunch is served, followed by afternoon games. 

Last Christmas the royals experienced their biggest change for decades as they celebrated their first festive period without Queen Elizabeth II, who had passed away just a few months earlier. 

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.

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.

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.