Yesterday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge found an unexpected solution. They attended church with the royal family – then headed back to their Norfolk mansion for a slap-up turkey dinner with the Middletons.
The decision raised eyebrows as royal watchers had expected the Cambridges to join the Queen and Prince Philip at Sandringham for lunch, as they did last year.
Kate's younger siblings, James and Pippa Middleton, left, joined the Royal Family along with their parents, Carole and Michael, right
Kate, who is around six months pregnant with her second child, appeared tired with dark circles and puffiness under her eyes as she arrived hand-in-hand with William at St Mary Magdalene church on the Queen’s Sandringham estate.
But William perhaps gave a clue to the cause of his wife’s weariness when he told a wellwisher that the 17-month-old would have caused havoc if he had joined them.
Kim Dawson, 43, from nearby Downham Market, asked William, 32, how the toddler was.
She said: ‘He said Prince George was really, really well and said that they’ve left him at the nursery because it’s a little bit cold, but they were looking forward to going back to see what destruction he’d caused. He wished us a happy Christmas and asked if we were warm enough and he said he was very grateful for all the flowers.
‘He said his grandmother would be very happy with them. He was very, very sweet and asked if we’d had a nice day.’
The Middletons were personally invited by the Queen to join the congregation at Sandringham yesterday, although they tactfully chose to drive themselves directly from Anmer and arrived shortly before the royal party at the main entrance.
It is understood that William and Kate planned to briefly congregate with the rest of the royals at Sandringham after church before returning to Anmer and George for lunch. ‘The Queen understands that they have other family commitments,’ a source explained.
Relaxed: The Queen, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cambridge and Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice are pictured leaving church today
Refined: The Duchess of Cambridge (centre) leaving the church, followed by Prince Harry (right) and Autumn Phillips
Having a laugh: Autumn and Peter Phillips share a joke as they walk among the grounds in King's Lynn, Norfolk
Charles was without his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, who has been forced to stay at her family home in Wiltshire after suffering a recurrence of a niggling back injury.
But those who had made the journey included Princess Anne and her son, Peter Phillips. Her daughter, Zara, was believed to be at the Yorkshire home of her husband, Mike Tindall, with their new daughter, Mia.
Princess Eugenie had flown over from New York, where she is currently based, and was accompanied by her sister, Princess Beatrice.
Unlike most people in Britain, the royals follow the German tradition of opening their presents on Christmas Eve. But after today's service the Queen and her family will sit down to a Norfolk turkey with all the trimmings.
After they left the church, the royals were greeted with the cheers of well-wishers, many of whom had waited for hours.
Prince Harry appeared happy to stop and speak to some of those outside the estate, while Kate quickly found that she had her hands full with bouquets of flowers that were given to her.
Family photo: Princess Anne's husband Tim Laurence, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Princess Eugenie, Princess Beatrice, Autumn Phillips, Prince Philip, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry
Hat gang: Autumn Phillips dressed in brown and camel colours for the service while the Countess of Wessex looked radiant in cream
The Duchess of Cambridge looked demure as she stepped out wearing a calf-length brown coat with matching brown hat. She added an elegant touch of colour to her outfit with a silk scarf in warm autumnal colours.
Princesses Eugenie added a touch of festive cheer to her striking white ensemble with a cranberry-coloured beret. While her sister, Princess Beatrice chose a feminine coat in black and grey. Their father, the Duke of York, was also among the royal party.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex were with their daughter Lady Louise Windsor, and Peter Phillips was joined by his wife Autumn.
The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles' wife, did not attend the traditional Royal Family church service in Sandringham on advice from doctors after she 'put her back out', Clarence House said.
The Queen, in her speech, said she was 'deeply touched' by the 'selflessness' of medical staff fighting Ebola in her traditional Christmas message, and also paid tribute to the Tower of London poppies.
The UK is one of a number of nations that has seen its doctors and nurses volunteer to help countries such as Sierra Leone in West Africa combat the epidemic. In her annual address to the nation, the Queen praised medics fighting the epidemic, as well as those working to provide humanitarian relief in warzones.
The theme of this year's speech, which comes after a busy year for the Royal Family, was reconciliation.
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Wwhile Autumn Phillips was also there with her husband
The Queen wore a brown fur coat over an elegant pink dress,
Source: The Mail
