Prince William, Princess Kate Middleton had a fun outing with their children as they joined the royal family for a Christmas Day tradition.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, attended the annual Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene Church on Thursday, December 25. The family of five and their fellow royals — including King Charles, Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Prince Edward, Duchess Sophie and more — walked from nearby Sandringham House to the church in a public appearance that has become customary on the holiday.
Kate rocked a brown coat with a matching headpiece and scarf while William’s ensemble included some red and blue. Their sons wore suits for the public outing while Charlotte sported a brown coat as well.
William and Kate have been enjoying a busy holiday season with their children. Earlier this month, they attended Kate’s “Together at Christmas” carol service at Westminster Abbey on December 5. The couple — who have been married since April 2011 — subsequently released their holiday card via Instagram on December 18.
“Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas,” they captioned a family photo taken by photographer Josh Shinner in April.
In the accompanying picture, William and Kate posed with George, Charlotte and Louis in a field of flowers as Kate wrapped her arm around George, Charlotte placed her head on William’s shoulder and Louis sat in William’s lap.
As the family prepared for the holidays, a source emphasized the significance of Kate’s first Christmas since announcing her cancer remission in January.
“The celebration may carry a wistful tone,” the insider exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month, “however, it will also be a time of celebration, especially after Kate received the all-clear.”
According to the source, the royals “all want to make the most of their time together.”
William and Kate are also looking forward to “creating memories in what they consider their forever home” after moving from Adelaide Cottage to Forest Lodge in October.
Meanwhile, George, Charlotte and Louis are just as excited about the holidays as their parents.
“They love Christmas,” the insider said of the trio, whom William and Kate try to keep as down to earth as possible. “They want to create a traditional Christmas without airs and graces, unlike what [King] Charles might have had as a child.”
Outside of their church service outing, the royals have a number of Christmas traditions they partake in every year. On Christmas Eve, they gather at Sandringham House — with Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, joining the festivities — for afternoon tea, a black-tie dinner and gift-giving, according to royal historian Marlene Koenig.
“The royals prefer jokey or inexpensive gifts,” Koenig told Us.
After church on Christmas Day, the family will return to Sandringham for drinks, a traditional lunch and a buffet dinner.
