Bond of brothers: Prince Charles walks side-by-side with Prince Andrew as Epstein scandal continues to hang over him and they join the Queen and other royals for Sandringham Christmas service
- Queen has been joined by members of the royal family as they attend Christmas Day service at Sandringham
- The 93-year-old arrived at her Norfolk estate this morning without her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh
- Prince Philip, 98, who was discharged from hospital in London yesterday, is absent from the day's events
- Under-fire Prince Andrew cut a solemn figure as he walked into the church alongside his brother Charles
Prince Andrew walked in solidarity with his older brother Charles today as they made their way to their annual Christmas Day service at Sandringham.
Wearing a fur coat and silk head scarf, the 93-year-old arrived at her Norfolk estate this morning without her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, who was discharged from hospital in London yesterday.
The Earl of Wessex and his daughter Lady Louise Windsor strolled into St Mary Magdalene Church together while Prince Andrew followed, cutting a solemn figure as he walked alongside his older brother, Charles.
In recent months the Duke of York has stepped back from royal duties in the wake of his disastrous Newsnight interview and friendship with the paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein.
But the brothers walked side-by-side as they headed into St Mary Magdalene Church for the 9am service, ahead of the royal family's traditional 11am service.
Hundreds of well-wishers have been queuing since the early hours to catch a glimpse of members of the royal family.
The Prince of Wales and the Duke of York arriving to attend the church service
Wearing a fur coat and silk head scarf, Her Majesty arrived at her Norfolk estate this morning
The Earl of Wessex and his daughter Lady Louise Windsor strolled into St Mary Magdalene Church together
Andrew and Fergie's Christmas card makes thinly-veiled reference to Epstein scandal
If there is one person who might want to see the back of 2019, it is the Duke of York.
And it looks like he and ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, have made some not-so-thinly veiled references to it in their Christmas cards to family and friends.
Their festive tidings feature one image of one of their beloved Norfolk terriers nose-deep in a bush showing its rear end to the camera, with the caption: 'Say Goodbye to 2019.'
Another photo shows what is believed to be the Queen's Balmoral estate and a path through the Highlands, with the message: 'We Look to the Road Ahead.'
Inside the white embossed card – also from daughters Beatrice, 31, and Eugenie, 29 – there is the printed message: 'We are united with gratitude for your support and kindness, Thank you.'
The implication could not be any clearer – we are a family and we stand together, no matter what.
The message of unity follows Andrew's disastrous interview with the BBC last month in which he tried to clear his name over the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal.
Well-wishers gathering to see the royals take their traditional stroll to the church may be hoping to catch a glimpse of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
If so, it would be the first time the younger royals have attended the Christmas Day service.
As the Queen is head of the Church of England, it is a key part of royal celebrations.
Following the service, the Windsors enjoy a festive lunch back at Sandringham House and then settle down together to watch the Queen's Christmas Day speech.
In her broadcast to the nation and the Commonwealth, the Queen is to acknowledge the 'bumpy' path the royal family and the nation has experienced over the past 12 months.
Although the Duke of Edinburgh was discharged from hospital on Christmas Eve, he has not attended the church service on the Queen's private estate in Norfolk today.
The duke was admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital in central London on Friday and spent four nights undergoing treatment for an undisclosed ongoing health issue.
The 98-year-old, who received minor injuries after being involved in a car crash near the estate in January, missed the service at St Mary Magdalene Church last year to stay at home, despite being in good health at the time.
It is also unlikely that the Duke of York will arrive with the Queen, as he did in 2018, amid the fallout from a disastrous television interview about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew stepped down from public duties for the foreseeable future following his appearance on BBC Newsnight, when he was heavily criticised for showing little remorse over his friendship with convicted sex offender Epstein.
In the interview, the duke denied claims he slept with Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's victims, on three separate occasions.
Andrew's daughter Princess Beatrice is expected to be joined by fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi for the first time at the church, after the Daily Mail reported the Queen had extended an invitation to the property tycoon.
In another departure from last year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not walk into the church side by side with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Harry and Meghan will be celebrating Archie Mountbatten-Windsor's first festive season with the duchess's mother, Doria Ragland, instead of joining the royal family's traditional celebration in Norfolk.
The Royal Family tweeted these images of the Queen's speeches from 2010-2018 this morning, with the caption: 'Merry Christmas everyone! Today marks the 68th Queen’s Christmas speech and the last of the decade'
Prince Charles and Camilla tweeted this photograph today, with the message: 'Wishing all our followers a very happy Christmas from Clarence House'
With Her Majesty's acknowledgement of the 'bumpy' path the Royal Family and the nation has experienced in the past 12 months, it is likely to be more compelling viewing than ever (pictured: making this year's broadcast to the nation from Windsor Castle in Berkshire)
Their choice to spend Christmas away from Sandringham follows claims of a rift, first between Meghan and Kate, which appeared to have been been quashed as they arrived together at last year's service, and then between Harry and brother William.
In an ITV television documentary broadcast in October, Harry, when asked about the situation, said he loved his brother dearly but they were 'on different paths at the moment'.
Prince William is pictured kissing Prince Louis in adorable new photograph of the family taken by the Duchess of Cambridge
The Duchess of Cambridge has taken an adorable new family photograph of Prince William kissing Prince Louis on the cheek.
The black and white photo shows the Duke of Cambridge with their youngest child, while Princess Charlotte and Prince George look towards the camera.
The duke wears a flat cap as he holds on closely to his son in the photo, which was taken by the duchess, a keen photographer, earlier this year in Norfolk.
Princess Charlotte also appears to be holding on to her younger brother as she stands behind him, while Prince George sits next to them in a chair as he cheekily smirks at the camera.
This is not the first time Kate, one of the world's most photographed people, has gone behind the lens and released her own pictures.
The duchess was named as the new patron of the Royal Photographic Society earlier this year following her flourishing passion in photography.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wish their Instagram fans Merry Christmas from Canada - as they shun service at Sandringham with the rest of the royals
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have wished their Instagram followers a happy Christmas from Canada amid clamour for them to return home and join the embattled Royals at Sandringham.
At 9am - which would have been the early hours across the Atlantic where the couple are still thought to be - they wrote: 'Wishing you all a very merry Christmas - their Royal Highness the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.'
The post, which was accompanied by emojis of a Christmas tree, Santa and a snowman, came as the Queen and other members of the Royal Family prepared to head to church in Sandringham.
Harry and Meghan have stonewalled calls for them to cut short their six-week trip and return home in the wake of Prince Philip's spell in hospital.
Prince Harry and Meghan have wished their scores of Instagram followers a happy Christmas
American actress Janina Gavankar was asked by her friend Meghan Markle to take the image for the card which shows her and husband Prince Harry with their seven-month-old son Archie in the foreground
Last month, the Sussexes and eight-month-old Archie secretly flew to Canada for a holiday.
Since then, the Royals have endured a tough time as Prince Andrew continues to bunker down amid a swirling storm over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and Philip recovers from a four-night stint in the King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, London.
Some in the Family have privately urged Harry and Meghan to jet back to show support, according to the Sun.
But the couple is seemingly staying put in North America and is ignoring calls for their return.
The couple have missed the Queen's pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace and will miss the monarch's annual get together at her private Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
It comes after a family Christmas card of the royal couple smiling in front of a Christmas tree, with Archie's adorable face staring down the camera lens, was revealed.
The Duchess, a former actress, lived and worked in Toronto during her time starring in the popular US drama Suits, and the couple were famously pictured together when Meghan joined her then-boyfriend Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games in the Canadian city.
Buckingham Palace had previously announced the Sussexes intended to take a six-week break from duties and would not spend Christmas at Sandringham with the Royal Family.
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Queen and Prince Andrew at Sandringham for Christmas Day service - Daily Mail
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