King Charles 'very fond' of Beatrice and Eugenie as monarch gives major sign of support to his nieces

Their presence at the festive gathering comes as the York family faces continued scrutiny following their father's fall from grace.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who has been stripped of his royal titles, remains at the centre of ongoing scandal surrounding links to Jeffrey Epstein.

The former duke is set to relocate to accommodation on the Sandringham estate in the new year, ending more than two decades at Royal Lodge where he has resided since 2003.

Sarah Ferguson has also experienced a continued decline in standing alongside her former husband.

The Christmas church service at Sandringham represents one of the rare occasions when non-working royals appear publicly with the monarch.

Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were not in attendance at the event.

Beatrice and Eugenie have maintained their presence at these family gatherings throughout King Charles's reign, typically accompanied by their husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank.

The festive period has traditionally welcomed a wider circle of relatives than most other royal engagements.

The King's invitation to both princesses for the pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace earlier this month was widely interpreted as a display of loyalty to his nieces despite the turmoil surrounding their parents.

Neither sister brought their children to yesterday's service at Sandringham.

Eugenie, who is 35, shares two young sons with Jack Brooksbank: four-year-old August and two-year-old Ernest.

Following the morning church walk, which served as the sole public appearance of the day, the Royal Family retreated to Sandringham House to celebrate Christmas privately.