LONDON, U.K. — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis spread Christmas cheer on their way to a church service on Christmas morning.
George, 11, Charlotte, 9, and Louis, 6, walked alongside their parents Prince William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, as members of Britain’s royal family made their way into St. Mary Magdalene Church for their traditional Christmas Day service.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla were also among the royal family members attending church in Sandringham, the king’s estate in Norfolk, England.
The Christmas morning celebration appeared to be a welcome respite for the royal family, who have endured two cancer diagnoses this year.
In February, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles, 76, had been diagnosed with cancer. The palace has not disclosed the type of cancer nor the type of treatment Charles has undergone.
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Just one month later, in March, Kate, 42, announced that she too had been diagnosed with cancer.
Like Charles, Kate has not shared publicly what type of cancer she was diagnosed with. She shared in September that she had completed chemotherapy and was focused on staying “cancer free” and gradually returning to work.
Earlier in December, the princess hosted one of her most cherished annual events, a Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey.
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While the royal family put on a united front on the walk to church Wednesday, a few familiar faces were absent.
Charles’ brother Prince Andrew, Andrew’s daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and their mother Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, who all joined royal family members at Sandringham last year, were not present Wednesday.
Andrew is no longer a working royal but has celebrated Christmas at Sandringham since losing his military titles and royal patronages in 2022.
His absence from this year’s celebration comes as a Chinese businessman to whom Andrew allegedly had links has been banned from the United Kingdom amid national security concerns, according to The Associated Press. Andrew has said he only met the man through official channels and never discussed any sensitive topics with him.
Buckingham Palace has not commented on the case or the businessman’s alleged connection to Andrew.
Other royal family members absent from this year’s Christmas at Sandringham included Charles’ youngest son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, as well as their two children, Archie and Lilibet. The Sussexes, who now live in California, have not spent Christmas with the royal family since stepping away from their senior royal roles in 2020.
The last time Harry was seen publicly with his royal family members was at Charles and Camilla’s coronation in 2023.
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