Royal family is greeted by large crowd of wellwishers after attending Christmas Day church service at Sandringham

Royal fans gathered as the Prince and Princess of Wales walked hand in hand with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis from Sandringham house on their way to St Mary Magdalene 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.

Andrew's daughters were with their husbands, Princess Beatrice with Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Prince Eugenie with Jack Brooksbank.

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

The private Norfolk estate will once again host the traditional royal festivities.

Sarah, Duchess of York was publicly back at the heart of the royal family after joining the King and Queen at the service.

The former royal, who has had a troubled relationship with the monarchy, was pictured, smiling, and glancing towards the waiting media as she walked beside her ex-husband, the disgraced Duke of York.

Royal fans were treated to the sight of the Prince and Princess of Wales walking hand in hand with their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis from Sandringham house on their way to St Mary Magdalene Church.

And in a touching moment, Zara and Mike Tindall's eldest daughter Mia held hands with Louis, who in turn held his father's hand.

The King and Queen led the way smiling at more than 2,000 well-wishers gathered to watch the traditional procession of royals to church, with many waiting hours to get a prime spot.

Among the group were the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Tindalls with their other daughter Lena.

Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were joined by their children Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn.

It has been decades since Sarah made the short walk from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene Church with royals - normally reserved for close family - but in recent years it is thought she has been a guest for Christmas lunch.

She has won plaudits in recent months for her battle with breast cancer, praised for speaking openly about her treatment and setting an example for other women to get screened.

It is thought the last time she was pictured walking to church with Queen Elizabeth was in the early 1990s

For the second year in succession, Andrew made the walk from Sandringham to church with the other royals - symbolic of his gradual rehabilitation within the monarchy.

Andrew's alleged links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are set to come under further scrutiny in the new year with the release of hundreds of files from a defamation case following a ruling by a US judge.

His daughters Princess Beatrice, who walked with her partner Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and Prince Eugenie, with her spouse Jack Brooksbank, also attended.

After the service, Andrew and Sarah joined the King and Queen and Prince and Princess of Wales, meeting the waiting public during a walkabout.

Andrew could be seen laughing and throwing up his hands as he joked with well-wishes and the Duchess collected flowers and spoke to many of those waiting.

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

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

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

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.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Canterbury was using his Christmas Day sermon to highlight the suffering of children caught up in the Israel-Hamas war.

Referring to Jesus Christ's birthplace, which is now in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Most Rev Justin Welby was saying "the skies of Bethlehem are full of fear rather than angels and glory".

And he was comparing the turbulent conditions of Jesus's birth with the modern-day plight of children in the troubled region.

In his sermon at Canterbury Cathedral was saying: "Today a crying child is in a manger somewhere in the world, nobody willing or able to help his parents who desperately need shelter. Or in an incubator, in a hospital low on electricity, like Al-Ahli (hospital) in Gaza, surrounded by conflict.

"Maybe he lies in a house that still bears the marks of the horrors of October 7, with family members killed, and a mother who feared for her life."

Also referring to Ukraine and Sudan, the Archbishop was saying: "So many parts of the world seem beset with violence."

He was saying that a commitment to "serving, not in being served" was needed to resolve problems of climate change, terrorism, economic inequality and "the desperation and ambitions that drive more and more to migration".

Jesus "confronts our cruelty with his compassion" and "responds to our selfishness with service", Mr Welby was saying.

The Archbishop conducted the coronation of the King and he was suggesting Charles is following the example of Jesus in providing leadership through service.

"Two thousand years later, at a coronation, it seemed natural and right for a king in royal robes to answer a child, 'I come not to be served, but to serve' - and we know it to be his intention, the right way to be a king."

The King is set to knight the Archbishop of Canterbury in the upcoming New Year Honours list, according to reports.