• King Charles, Queen Camilla, and other royals attend Christmas service at Sandringham.
• Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is notably absent due to controversies surrounding his past.
• Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie join the family for the traditional holiday event.
• The King is expected to deliver his Christmas message focused on themes of pilgrimage.
• Catherine and Princess Charlotte performed a piano duet ahead of the Christmas festivities.

On Christmas Day, King Charles III and Queen Camilla led senior royals in attending the traditional church service at Sandringham, a yearly event that brings the family together. Notable attendees included the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, along with their three children, as well as Princess Anne and her family. The service commenced with the royal family warmly greeting well-wishers amidst crisp winter weather, according to BBC and Reuters.

While the royal family participated in the public celebration, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Prince Andrew, was absent, continuing a theme from the previous year. Stripped of his titles in October over ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew has stepped back from public duties amid allegations that he had sexual relations with Virginia Giuffre, a claim he settled in a civil lawsuit. His absence sheds light on the ongoing controversies surrounding his past, highlighted by CBS News and South China Morning Post.

Despite the controversies, his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, participated in the event, reaffirming their connections to royal traditions. They joined other family members, including the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, for the Christmas service, demonstrating that they maintain their roles within the family despite their father's challenges. This was noted by both Reuters and South China Morning Post.

Following the service, the family is expected to return to Sandringham House for their Christmas lunch, after which King Charles will deliver his annual Christmas message. This year, the message recorded at Westminster Abbey is anticipated to address themes of life’s journey, which resonates with the greater pilgrimage in life, as outlined by reports from BBC and CBS News.