Princess Charlotte charmed crowds at Sandringham on Christmas Day, hugging a fan and accepting gifts alongside her brothers after the Royal Family's traditional church service. The ten-year-old's warm interaction capped a festive morning that saw King Charles lead the family to St Mary Magdalene Church, while Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remained notably absent.
The Christmas Day walkabout drew hundreds of well-wishers who braved cold but sunny weather to greet the royals. Princess Charlotte, wearing a camel coat with chocolate brown trim, chatted with her cousins Mia and Lena Tindall before enthusiastically engaging with fans.
Gemma Clark, 45, from Long Sutton, received the hug she requested from Charlotte. "I asked Charlotte for a hug and she said yes. It was absolutely amazing, I loved it – I wish I could hug her again," Clark said. "I wasn't surprised. She's given me hugs in the past."
The Wales children collected numerous gifts from the crowd. Prince Louis clutched a blue Mickey Mouse toy and quickly grabbed a large Lindt chocolate ball from his father Prince William. Prince George received selection boxes of chocolates, while fans handed Charlotte bouquets and teddy bears.
Princess Catherine spent nearly 20 minutes chatting with well-wishers after the hour-long service, with police officers helping carry the flowers she received. The Princess of Wales wore a brown BLAZE MILANO tartan coat paired with a chocolate brown fascinator.
King leads family gathering
King Charles and Queen Camilla led the procession from Sandringham House to the church, waving and smiling at the public. The King wore a camel-coloured overcoat while the Queen chose a bright red coat, matched by Princess Anne in a similar shade.
Senior royals including Princess Anne, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Zara and Mike Tindall joined the walkabout. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie made a surprise appearance with their husbands, despite their father Andrew's absence.
The gathering came hours before King Charles delivered his Christmas broadcast, which he filmed at Westminster Abbey rather than Buckingham Palace. The King is expected to pay tribute to Britain's war veterans on the 80th anniversary of VE Day and VJ Day.
Andrew's second Christmas absence
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor missed the service for the second consecutive year, reportedly spending Christmas at his Royal Lodge home near Windsor Castle. King Charles stripped Andrew of his titles in October following renewed scrutiny over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Authorities released new information from the Epstein files this week, including emails signed "A" that asked Ghislaine Maxwell for "inappropriate friends". Andrew vehemently denies any wrongdoing.
The Metropolitan Police contacted the FBI in November to review allegations against Andrew but decided earlier this month not to launch a criminal investigation. Andrew will soon vacate Royal Lodge for Marsh Farm on the Sandringham estate, which workers are currently renovating.
Charlotte's piano performance
The Christmas appearance followed Charlotte's pre-recorded piano duet with her mother, which ITV aired on Christmas Eve as part of Catherine's "Together at Christmas" carol concert. The pair performed Scottish composer Erland Cooper's "Holm Sound" at Westminster Abbey on December 5.
Erland Cooper praised Charlotte's abilities after the performance. "Princess Charlotte played beautifully. She really has a wonderful way of playing the lighter notes just beautifully," Cooper said.
The concert, Catherine's fifth annual event, celebrated community heroes. Catherine has played piano since age ten and had previously communicated with Cooper about teaching Charlotte his compositions at home.
The Wales family recently moved into their "forever home" Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, following what Prince William described as a "brutal" 2024. Catherine publicly confirmed her cancer recovery at the start of 2025.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
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