Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attended the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham in a surprise appearance today, joining members of the Royal Family for the traditional walk to St Mary Magdalene Church.
Their attendance also comes amid ongoing attention on the York family’s changing circumstances, particularly after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson’s continued fall from grace.
The former duke, who was stripped of his titles, is set to move to accommodation on the Sandringham estate in the new year after residing at Royal Lodge since 2003.
The sisters have been regular attendees at Sandringham over the years, often joining the family and other relatives for the Christmas morning service.
Their appearance this year continues that pattern, with Sandringham remaining one of the few annual occasions when non-working members of the family are seen publicly alongside the monarch.
Beatrice and Eugenie have both previously attended the church walk during King Charles’s reign alongside their respective husbands, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank.
This includes appearances in recent years that underlined their continued inclusion in family occasions despite their non-working status.
Christmas at Sandringham has historically accommodated a broader group of relatives than many other public-facing moments in the royal calendar.
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attend Sandringham church walk in surprise appearance
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Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice walking behind Prince William
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Following the service, the Royal Family will return to Sandringham House to continue Christmas Day privately, with the church walk remaining the only public appearance of the morning.
Beatrice and Eugenie stunned royal fans when they attended the King’s pre-Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace earlier this month.
This was widely seen as the King showing his loyalty to his nieces, despite the chaos surrounding their parents.
It was previously reported that Beatrice would spend Christmas overseas with her husband and their two daughters, Sienna and Athena.
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Edoardo and Beatrice attending church on Christmas Day
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Sources claimed the princess had opted to travel abroad for the festive period, though no official reason was given.
These reports now appear to be untrue, given Beatrice’s appearance with Mr Mapelli Mozzi today.
Neither Beatrice nor Eugenie brought their children to Sandringham today.
Princess Eugenie pictured at Sandringham for Christmas in 2025
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Eugenie, 35, has two sons with Mr Brooksbank: August, four, and Ernest, two.
This is in stark contrast to Prince William and Princess Kate, who brought all three children to Sandringham today.
Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven, could be seen waving to the crowds as they entered St Mary Magdalene’s Church.