This Christmas, I found myself somewhere I’d only ever watched from afar. After years of covering the British royal family’s Christmas morning from behind a computer screen, this year, I was standing along the pathway to St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham. Yes, I had myself a very merry, royal<\/em> Christmas.<\/p>\n Just last year, I kid you not, I said I would love to one day experience Christmas at Sandringham. Little did I know 2025 would be the year, and that instead of writing about them, I’d be wishing King Charles<\/a>, the Prince<\/a> and Princess of Wales<\/a>, and their children \u2014 Prince George<\/a>, Princess Charlotte<\/a> and Prince Louis<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2014 a merry Christmas in person.<\/p>\n My royal Christmas Day started early, very<\/em> early, at 5 am to be exact, to make the journey from King’s Lynn to the Sandringham Estate. I should note it was only my third day ever driving in the UK, so it didn’t exactly come as a shock when I was pulled over by the police on my way to Sandringham. No<\/em>, I wasn’t speeding or driving in the wrong lane, I was going too<\/em> slowly.<\/p>\n “Are you okay?” the officer who approached my window asked.<\/p>\n “Yes,” I said, explaining that I was an American still getting used to driving on the left, and asking if the reason I’d been stopped was because I was going so slow. He laughed and then inquired if I was heading to see the royals, since that’s where they were going. I asked if I could follow them and they led the way, albeit with me trailing behind.<\/p>\n I arrived at the estate just after 6:30 am, and much to my surprise, the crowds were not huge. I think I had been frightened into believing that I needed to be there at the crack of dawn. While I would have loved an extra hour or two of sleep, arriving when I did paid off. I ended up in the first queue section, which was closed off early and entered the gates before a second, much larger line.<\/p>\n Although it was early and chilly out, everyone seemed happy to be there, united by a common interest: the royals, which made making friends easy. I met Mandy, Wendy and Andy (thanks again for the chair, Andy!) and even ran into Officer Jamie, who had pulled me over earlier that morning.<\/p>\n We’d all been told the gates wouldn’t open until 9:45 am and that we would be searched prior to going in. After clearing security, my newfound friends \u2014 also first-timers \u2014 and I finally made our way inside at 9:53 am.<\/p>\n One thing that immediately struck me as I entered the grounds was just how short the walk is. In photographs, the distance from the house to the church appears far longer than it actually is.\u00a0<\/p>\n Outside of St Mary Magdalene Church, well-wishers were handed the order of service, a small keepsake from a memorable day. A fun fact I learned while there: the music from the service can be heard from the outside.<\/p>\n After shifting our spot along the fence, Mandy and I positioned ourselves about halfway along the path. Then, before I knew it, the moment we had all been waiting for, literally, arrived. At 10:56 am, the royals, led by King Charles and Queen Camilla<\/strong>, emerged from the gates of Sandringham House and began their walk to St Mary Magdalene Church<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Right off the bat, I noticed that the Waleses weren’t walking directly behind the King and Queen. Instead, that spot was occupied by the King’s niece, Princess Eugenie<\/strong>, and her husband,\u00a0Jack Brooksbank<\/strong>. After everything that has transpired in recent months, and following Eugenie and Princess Beatrice’s absence from Catherine’s Together at Christmas\u00a0<\/em>carol service,<\/a> it was lovely to see the two sisters smiling as they stepped out with their family. I wondered if Eugenie’s position in the walk was a subtle show of support for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s daughters. Mandy thought it felt very much like a statement.<\/p>\n After the service, which lasted less than an hour, the royals begin their walk back to the house, greeting the waiting crowds. Mandy told Eugenie: “Lovely to see you all,” to which the Princess simply replied: “Thank you.”<\/p>\n
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