King Charles leads royals for Christmas Day church service with Andrew also joining family
The Duke of York returned his military affiliations and royal patronages to his late mother, the Queen, in January.
King Charles arrives for first Sandringham Christmas service
Prince Andrew was among the members of the Royal Family to join King Charles and Camilla in their walk from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene Church this morning. Members of the Royal Family came out in force today to attend the morning service at the little chapel near the royal residence in Norfolk.
The King and Queen Consort led the party with huge smiles as dozens of royal well-wishers cheered for them.
They were followed by the full Waleses family, with the Prince and Princess of Wales walking alongside their three children George, Charlotte and Louis.
This appearance marked Louis's debut on Christmas Day at Sandringham.
In 2019, his elder siblings had taken part in the service and the following walkabout, but the boy was left at Sandringham House by Kate and William as he was aged only one at the time.
In 2020 and 2021, the royals did not gather in Sandringham over Christmas due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In 2019, Prince Andrew also missed the main Christmas Day service, and opted instead to attend an early one in the morning alongside his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
A few weeks prior, the Duke of York had announced he was temporarily stepping back from public duties in the wake of the backlash that hit him after his disastrous interview with Emily Maitlis for Newsnight.
Prince Andrew arrived at the church alongside his two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and their husbands.
Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were also joined by the property development's son, Christopher 'Wolfie' Mapelli Mozzi.
The Duke of York wasn't accompanied by his former wife, Sarah Ferguson despite her reportedly spending Christmas in Norfolk.
This year’s festive period will mark the first Christmas since September.
READ MORE: Kate 'declined' first invitation to royal Christmas at Sandringham
On September 19, the Duke of York joined his three siblings, among other family members, to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at her funeral.
During the official mourning period for the Queen, the return of Prince Andrew to the public sphere was welcomed with mixed feelings.
Over the past three years, Prince Andrew has been distinctly absent from several key royal engagements.
He did not attend any of the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June after Buckingham Palace reported he had tested positive for coronavirus.
However, he was present at the Thanksgiving Service in honour of the late Prince Philip, his father, held at Westminster Abbey in March.
After today's service, King Charles and Camilla hosted their relatives for a lavish lunch.
At 3pm, the family and the rest of the country will gather to watch the monarch's first-ever Christmas broadcast, recorded on December 13 at St George's Chapel.
The Monday before Christmas Day, the King and Queen Consort hosted their extended family at Windsor Castle for a lavish festive lunch.