Princess Anne attended the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham alongside Sir Timothy Laurence today, joining Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh for the Royal Family’s traditional walk to St Mary Magdalene Church.
The appearance of Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie reinforced the continuing prominence of the King’s closest senior relatives at public-facing moments, particularly those that carry symbolic weight.
For Anne, Christmas at Sandringham follows another demanding year of public duty.
The Princess Royal, long known for her heavy workload, has continued to play a prominent role within the working family, even after King Charles overtook her this year as the most active royal by number of engagements.
Sir Timothy’s presence alongside her remains a steady feature of these family gatherings, offering a familiar pairing for royal watchers at events where the wider family is brought into view.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, meanwhile, continue to occupy an increasingly central role in the monarchy’s working line-up.
Over the past year, they have undertaken a full schedule of engagements in the UK and abroad, and are regular attendees at the most significant family occasions.
Their presence at Sandringham underlined how the Edinburghs are part of the core group who are repeatedly relied upon for public-facing duties and high-profile ceremonial moments.
Princess Anne pictured for the first time since losing 'hardest-working royal' title to King Charles
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Princess Anne pictured in front of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank
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Sandringham on Christmas Day is an annual fixture, tightly bound up in tradition.
It is also one of the few occasions in the year when the Royal Family is seen together outside major set-piece national events.
Christmas Day at Sandringham is not a formal engagement in the way a state visit might be, but the optics are carefully understood.
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Princess Anne walking behind King Charles and Queen Camilla
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Attendance is never purely social in how it is interpreted, and the church walk is inevitably read as a snapshot of the monarchy’s visible shape.
With Anne and the Edinburghs included, the family group reflected a steady emphasis on senior, trusted figures who represent continuity.
After attending the service at St Mary Magdalene, the family returned to Sandringham House as the Royal Family continued their Christmas Day celebrations.
Princess Kate with her children at Sandringham | GETTYThe day traditionally includes lunch at the estate and, later, the King’s Christmas broadcast.
This leaves the church walk as the main brief public moment where senior royals are seen together in Norfolk before the celebrations move back behind closed doors.