Prince Andrew has made a surprise appearance with the Royal Family as they made their traditional walk to church in Sandringham.
The disgraced Duke joined the rest of the Firm as they walked together to St Mary Magdalene for a Christmas service.
Andrew was not expected to join the family for the public appearance.
Prince Andrew stepped down from royal duties and the Queen stripped him of his military affiliations and patronages in the wake of a sex scandal earlier this year.
He denied the allegations against him and later came to an out of court settlement, reportedly worth £12 million with his accuser Virginia Giuffre. The settlement is not an admission of guilt. Prince Andrew continues to deny any wrongdoing
It will be the first time members of the Royal Family have spent Christmas at Sandringham House since 2019.
And back then, Andrew avoided making a public appearance and attended a private church service at the chapel at 9am with the late Queen.
He did not join the rest of the family members for service, and the walkabout with fans hours later.
Christmas at Sandringham follows a break, when, due to the Covid pandemic, the late Queen spent the festive period at Windsor Castle two years in a row – the first with the Duke of Edinburgh, separated from her wider family in lockdown.
After the morning trip to St Mary Magdalene Church and the greeting of well-wishers, the family are expected to tuck into a lunch of turkey and all the trimmings.
Traditionally members of the royal family sit down to watch the Queen's televised address when it airs after lunch at 3pm on December 25.
This year, they will watch King Charles' first ever Christmas address, where he is expected to to pay tribute to the late Queen.
An image of Charles, taken during the recording of his inaugural festive address, has already been released ahead of the broadcast being screened later today.
The festive message was recorded on December 13 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, a religious building which has a strong association with the late Queen.
It was filmed in the quire of St George’s Chapel, where the royal family sat during the Queen’s committal service, and during the broadcast the choir of St George’s Chapel, Windsor performs the National Anthem and sings a carol.
The monarch is pictured standing while delivering his address.
Although in recent years the Queen recorded her Christmas broadcast sat at a desk, she had also stood in decades past.
