Zara and Mike Tindall join Sandringham's Christmas Day church service

Colour co-ordinated family! Zara and Mike Tindall wear grey and burgundy outfits as they lead daughters Mia, 8, and Lena, 4, to church in Sandringham for Christmas Day service

  • Zara, 41, and Mike, 44, joined royal family for the Christmas outing this morning 
  • Couple looked stylish as they headed to St Mary Magdalene Church
  •  It is first Christmas the royal family is celebrating since death of Queen Elizabeth
  • Read more: The King’s most poignant speech: Monarch nods to his late mother the Queen by recording Christmas message in St George’s Chapel where the world was afforded a last glimpse of her coffin 

Zara and Mike Tindall looked co-ordinated in grey outfits with a touch of burgundy as they held the hands of their youngest daughter Lena, four, to join the King and the other members of the Royal Family for the Christmas Day Church service this morning. 

The daughter of Princess Anne, 41, and her husband, 44, were seen walking behind the Prince and Princess of Wales as they headed to the church for the festive service at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Norfolk estate.

The parents-of-three held little Lena’s hand, who was dressed in a burgundy coat with gold buttons, while their eldest daughter Mia, eight, walked in front of them in a grey coat with lapels.

The couple’s youngest child, one-year-old Lucas, did not attend the Christmas Day service as he’s too young. 

Colour co-ordinated! Zara and Mike Tindall, 41 and 44, held hands with their youngest daughter Lena, four, as they walked to St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham for the Christmas Day service

Princess Anne’s daughter Zara wore a grey coat from L.K Bennett and a hat from London-based milliner Juliette Botterill. She paired the outfit with a burgundy patent handbag and burgundy pumps.

Meanwhile, ex-rugby star and former jungle graduate Mike looked dapper in a grey suit.

At one point, cheeky Lena appeared to play with her parents as she strolled with them and looked as if she might want to break free. However, the excited young royal beamed for the crowds. 

This is the first Christmas at Sandringham in two years after the late Queen stayed in Windsor for Christmas 2020 and Christmas 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the first time the family is spending the holidays without the late Monarch. 

Little Lena, four, wore a burgundy coat with gold buttons, tights, and little black shoes as she took part in the walkabout with her parents and older sister Mia

Mia Tindall, eight, flashed a coy smile as she walked with her hands crossed in front of her while wearing a grey coat and burgundy headpiece to match her mother’s ensemble (pictured with her father Mike)

Like the other members of the royal family, it is the first time Mike and Zara are attending the Christmas Day service in two years. 

The occasion was cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis, and did not take place in 2021 either, as the late Queen stayed in Windsor for the holidays in a break from tradition.  

The couple, who are the parents of Mia, eight, Lena, four and Lucas, who is nearly two, looked poised as they joined Zara’s relatives for the outing. 

Hundreds of well-wishers have been queuing since the early hours to catch a glimpse of members of the royal family, and waved excitedly as the King and Queen Consort drove to the church. 

The bittersweet occasion saw the family put on a show of unity as they marked the first Christmas since the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8, and after the explosive Netflix documentary of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 

It is the first time King Charles III is organising the event, marking the beginning of a new era for the royals. 

The Prince and Princess of Wales are staying with the King and Queen Consort for the festive holidays, alongside the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children. 

Zara and Mike Tindall beamed as they strolled through the Sandringham Estate on the Royal Family’s Christmas Day walkabout

Time to play! Little Lena appeared to want to play as she walked hand-in-hand with her parents to St Mary Magdalene Church

Speaking ahead of the celebrations, Mike Tindall has admitted that the Royal Family’s first Christmas without the Queen will be ‘very different’ as he opened up about his family’s festive plans on his podcast The Good, The Bad &  The Rugby, which he co-hosts with James Haskell and Alex Payne.

Filming a Christmas special of the show for YouTube, Mike – who appeared in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here earlier this month – was seen dressed in a Santa hat and wrapped in a strand of gold tinsel.  

When asked by host Alex Payne if Christmas for the royals would be ‘very different’, Mike replied: ‘Yeah, it probably will be. I don’t really know, I’m quite looking forward to it.

‘Obviously, there’s a lot of change, there’s lots of firsts.’ 

This year will be the first time King Charles delivers a Christmas speech to the nation – something the Queen did every year of her 70 year reign. 

He is expected to speak movingly about Queen Elizabeth in his first ever Christmas message which will be broadcast at 3pm today. 

The broadcast was produced by BBC Studios Events rather than ITV, whose turn it was to record the King’s first festive address under a rotating producer system between the BBC, ITV and Sky News.

It is believed the royal family went with the BBC because it has ‘experience of shooting in St George’s Chapel this year’.

The royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told The Times that The Monarch has invited the Duchess of York to spend Christmas at Sandringham with the rest of the family for the first time since her divorce from Prince Andrew. 

Meanwhile, the Duke of York will be spending Christmas at the royal estate as well, but did not appear this morning for the public walk to Church. 

Yesterday, the country watched as the family put on a show of unity at Kate’s Together at Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey. 

The event, which was recorded on December 15, was broadcast on ITV at 7:30pm last night to mark Christmas Eve. 

Ahead of the event, the Princess of Wales revealed that the heart-warming concert had been dedicated to the late Queen, ‘and to all those who are sadly no longer with us’. 

In an introduction shared ahead of the concert’s broadcast, Kate talked emotionally of the late Monarch’s affinity with the festive period ‘as a time which brings people together and reminds us all of important values’.

The 40-year-old royal held her first event last year, which was such a success that she decided to bring it back – in the likelihood that it could become an annual fixture. She said: ‘Last year’s event reminded me what I love most about Christmas, seeing people coming together, celebrating and experiencing special moments, whilst also thinking about the year that’s passed.

‘This Christmas will be our first without Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Her Majesty held Christmas close to her heart, as a time that brought people together and reminded us of the importance of faith, friendship and family, and to show empathy and compassion.’

This year, the Princess invited hundreds of ‘inspiring individuals’ to the service to recognise their contributions up and down the country. 

She described them as: ‘Those who showcase the power of connectedness and community values, allowing us to continue Her Majesty’s tradition of recognising and thanking those who have gone above and beyond to support others.’

And she added: ‘Her Majesty leaves with us an incredible legacy and one that has deeply inspired many of us. This year’s carol service is dedicated to her and to all those who are sadly no longer with us.

‘So, whilst Christmas will feel very different this year, we can still remember the memories and traditions we shared.

‘Take time to slow down and celebrate with family and friends all the wonderful things that make Christmas so special.’

In a £400 black sequin knit crop cardigan, from Self Portrait, she recorded her the message last week during a visit to the Abbey amid final preparations for the service.

Supported by the Royal Foundation, the service was held at Westminster Abbey on December 15 and was attended by scores of senior royals including Their Majesties The King and Queen Consort.

The programme was narrated by Catherine Zeta-Jones, and featured tributes to Her Majesty The Queen and short films highlighting individuals who go above and beyond to support others.

Read more

King Charles ‘evicts Prince Andrew from Buckingham Palace after Epstein scandal and will no longer be allowed to have an office in the building or use its address for correspondence,’ source claims

And King Charles takes charge of Royal Christmas: Fergie will lunch with family at Sandringham as Harry and Meghan stay away but Prince Andrew WON’T join others in Christmas Day walk to church 

King Charles will ‘always keep the door open’ for Prince Harry but the royals ‘probably don’t think they owe the Sussexes an apology’, REBECCA ENGLISH tells Palace Confidential 

 

 

 

 

Source: Read Full Article