Queen of hearts! Kate dazzles in stylish brown tartan coat as she accepts flowers and compliments from well-wishers after Christmas church service at Sandringham

The Princess of Wales put on a dazzling display as she joined the royal family for their annual Christmas service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham today. 

Catherine, 43, accepted bouquets of flowers and posed for photographs while wishing members of the public a Merry Christmas after the hour-long service on Thursday morning. 

The Princess opted for an autumnal brown coat that she paired it with a chocolate brown fascinator designed by Juliette Millinery, while her 10-year-old daughter Charlotte’s tan coat complemented the ensemble perfectly. 

Her bespoke coat was designed by BLAZE Milano and she paired it a pleated wool skirt from Gucci as well as brown suede boots from Gianvito Rossi. 

Catherine, who styled her gorgeous bronde tresses in cascading waves, accessorised with her new mocha suede Demellier bag that she debuted during a visit to the Anna Freud Centre in London last month. 

She finished her look with a pair of Trinity hoop earrings from Cartier as fans gushed the Princess, who kept her makeup typically dewy and fresh, looked ‘beautiful’. 

She was first seen walking up the road leading to the church on King Charles‘s Norfolk estate alongside Prince William, their children – Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, seven. 

Catherine has previously worn the £979 tartan coat on a number of occasions – including Christmas church service in 2021.

She also donned the stylish brown plain coat during a visit to the Royal Marsden hospital – where she received treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer – in January this year.  

Senior royals have descended on Sandringham for the holidays, with one notable exception as King Charles’s disgraced younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was asked not to attend the festivities. 

In the wake of Andrew’s disgrace, the royals displayed solidarity with his daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, who accepted the monarch’s invite to spend Christmas at Sandringham. 

Eugenie, who was accompanied by her husband Jack Brooksbank as well as the Princess Royal, 75, was all smiles as she walked into the church as part of the royal procession. 

 She opted to match with Kate as she picked a brown and burgundy tartan coat for the occasion. 

It comes after Catherine, who returned to public life this year after cancer treatment,  urged people to celebrate Christmas with small gestures of kindness as she gave thanks for ‘the beautiful tapestry of life’ at her star-studded carol concert.

Royal fans were moved to tears as they watched Catherine and daughter Charlotte perform a ‘special’ piano duet to kick off the annual service at Westminster Abbey which was broadcast on ITV on Christmas Eve.

They opted to play Holm Sound by Erland Cooper – a Scottish composer and producer from the Orkney Islands – during the segment that was filmed in the Inner Hall at Windsor Castle. 

The choice of composition was especially poignant as Cooper’s work is inspired by nature and connection – themes which are of deep importance to the princess in the wake of her cancer journey. 

In recent years, the emotive carol concert has become a cherished festive tradition – much like the Royal Family’s short walk back home from St Mary Magdalene church to Sandringham House when they meet their fans and wish them a Merry Christmas. 

For her first Christmas after completing her cancer treatment, Catherine picked a forest green Alexander McQueen coat, which she had previously worn during a visit to Leeds in January 2023.

She teamed the coat with a matching fascinator and scarf, as well as a pair of black gloves and black boots by Gianvito Rossi to keep warm.

The mother-of-three picked another green ensemble for this year’s edition of the Christmas carol concert as she skillfully repurposed her Catherine Walker coat by adding a black faux fur stole. 

But the real show-stopper was Catherine’s jewellery, as she donned a pair of £11,195 white gold and diamond celestial earrings for the occasion. 

The ‘Tsar Star’ drops and studs were made for her by Robinson Pelham, which also made the jewellery she wore on her wedding day to Prince William, and feature unique octagrams – or eight-pointed stars.

The carol service marked the second time the Waleses had been seen in public this year after they attended Trooping the Colour in June. 

Sweet photos from the event that was filmed earlier this month also highlighted her close relationship with her children, as fans spotted Catherine shared an adorable moment with her youngest son, Prince Louis. 

Catherine could be seen beaming proudly at her children, as they admired the festive light decorations ahead of the service – which was aired last evening. 

Once inside, the Princess helped Louis balance a candle while she held onto an order of service in her other hand as royal fans gushed he was ‘stealing the show’. 

Elsewhere, footage of the royal family arriving at Westminster Abbey underscored Charlotte’s close relationship with her mother. 

 A clip showed the moment their faces lit up when they spotted each other, as Catherine held her arm out to embrace her daughter, who looked equally delighted to support her mother at the event.

The family were later photographed walking into the event together, and Catherine  continued to lovingly direct her gaze at her daughter.

The princess’s close relationship with her children was on full display as she led them through the crowds that gathered for a glimpse of the Royal Family on Christmas morning. 

The future Queen has continued a measured and steady return to public life after announcing she is in remission from an undisclosed form of cancer in January. 

Since then, the mother-of-three has undertaken several public engagements – including US president Donald Trump‘s state visit, the recent Royal Variety Performance, and the Festival of Remembrance with her oldest son, Prince George. 

While King Charles, 77, hosted his biggest ever family Christmas at Sandringham last year, this year’s guest list was a little shorter considering the controversy surrounding his disgraced younger brother. 

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson were told they are not welcome at the royal gathering after a drip-feed of revelations about their involvement with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. 

It marks the second year running that Andrew, 65, and Fergie, 66, have not joined the Christmas festivities. 

Last year, they pulled out of the celebrations just 10 days before Christmas after Andrew’s links to alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo, came to light. 

Other absences included Andrew and Fergie’s elder daughter Princess Beatrice and her family – husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, her stepson Christopher Woolf, nine, and daughters Sienna, four, and newborn Athena Rose. 

The King’s younger son, Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle did not travel to Sandringham from Montecito, California, either as the Sussexes celebrated the holiday stateside with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. 

However, there appears to been a slight thaw in relations since their last visit to Sandringham in 2018.

In September, the Duke, 41, reunited with his father King Charles for the first time in 18 months for a face-to-face meeting in London that lasted just under an hour – amid a four-day trip to the UK. 

In an apparent olive branch, he later said the ‘focus really has to be on my dad’ in the next year.

This was tempered with a declaration that his ‘conscience is clear’ after a series of tell-all interviews and his memoir Spare. 

However, the King’s other brother Prince Edward was present as he was joined by wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, son James Viscount Severn, 18, and daughter Lady Louise, 22. 

Meanwhile, Princess Anne’s family accounts for quite a few spaces around the table this year. 

Her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence; daughter Zara and son-in-law Mike Tindall with their three children Mia, 11, Lena, seven, and Lucas, four; and son Peter Phillips with his two daughters Savannah and Isla.

Earlier this year, Peter  – who is 19th in line to the throne – announced with engagement to girlfriend, NHS paediatric nurse Harriet Sperling after a year of dating. 

Now that the rule that only married couples can attend has been relaxed, it was no surprise to see the NHS paediatric nurse during the royal walkabout. 

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla’s children, son Tom Parker Bowles and daughter Laura Lopes, skipped this year’s celebration after they joined the Royal Family for Christmas at Sandringham for the first time last year. 

Tom, 51, told The Telegraph that the pair travelled to Sandringham at their mother’s request following a difficult year for the Royal Family after both King Charles and Kate were diagnosed with cancer. 

‘My mum said, ‘I’d love you to come, I haven’t had Christmas with you for a long time’.’

Speaking to the Daily Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden, Tom, 51, previously confirmed that both he and his sister Laura, 47, would be spending the holidays separately. 

‘I’m not [spending Christmas at Sandringham],’ the food critic said. ‘Nor is my sister. It’ll be every other year, one year on, one year off.’ 

‘It’s back to the sofa at my ex-wife’s,’ he quipped, referring to fashion editor Sara Buys whom Tom was married to from 2005 until 2022. 

Family of the late Queen’s only sister, Princess Margaret, are stalwarts of the Royal Christmas celebrations. 

While members of the extended family are invited to a Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace prior to December 25th, there is always a seat at the table for King Charles’ two first cousins and their families. 

Artist Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel, along with their children Arthur, 26, and Samuel, 29, also joined in the celebrations. 

Lady Sarah’s brother David Armstong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, and his children Lady Margarita, 23, and Charles, 26, were also present.