Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie joined the Royal Family at Sandringham on Christmas morning, making a notable appearance at the traditional walk to St Mary Magdalene Church.
The sisters attended alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla as crowds gathered on the Norfolk estate for one of the most familiar fixtures of the royal calendar. Their presence drew particular attention because of the continued absence of their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The King’s brother was not seen at the service and has not taken part in the public Sandringham walk in recent years. Andrew, who no longer undertakes royal duties, remains largely absent from official family appearances amid the ongoing fallout from his personal and financial controversies.
Beatrice and Eugenie, by contrast, have continued to attend family occasions despite holding no formal roles within the monarchy. They have been regular participants in the Sandringham Christmas service over the years, reflecting the tradition’s status as one of the few moments when a wider circle of royal relatives appears together in public.
Their attendance comes as attention remains focused on the future arrangements of the York family. Andrew is expected to move to alternative accommodation on the Sandringham estate in the coming year, having lived at Royal Lodge in Windsor for more than two decades.
Earlier this month, Beatrice and Eugenie were also among those invited to the King’s pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace – a gesture widely interpreted as a sign of Charles’s continued support for his nieces, even as their parents remain sidelined.
Following the church service, the Royal Family returned to Sandringham House for private Christmas celebrations, with the morning walk remaining the only public engagement of the day.
