Sarah Ferguson clutched gifts from well-wishers as she walked to St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham. Photo / Getty Images
Sarah Ferguson clutched gifts from well-wishers as she walked to St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham. Photo / Getty Images
The Duchess of York joined the royal family for the Sandringham Christmas service for the first time in more than 30 years.
Sarah Ferguson made a surprise appearance alongside the King and Queen at the annual gathering, where she was seen accepting flowers and joking with members of the public as she wished them merry Christmas.
The former royal is believed to have last attended the event on the royal estate in Norfolk in 1991, a year before she split from the Duke of York. She was pictured on that occasion walking behind Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Duchess of York caught up with her niece, Zara Tindall, after the service. Photo / Getty Images
After the service, the duchess posted a picture of herself with her daughters on X (formerly Twitter) with the message: “We are enjoying each other’s company and feeling grateful today. I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Happy Christmas to anyone who celebrates and season’s greetings to all!”
The short walk from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene Church is usually reserved for close family — but in recent years, it is thought she has been a guest for Christmas lunch.
The duchess has won plaudits in recent months for her battle with breast cancer, being praised for speaking openly about her treatment and setting an example for other women to get screened.
For the second year in a row, Prince Andrew made the walk from Sandringham to church with the other royals — symbolic of his gradual rehabilitation within the monarchy.
The duke’s links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are likely to come under further scrutiny in the new year with the release of hundreds of files from a defamation case following a ruling by a US judge.
His daughters, Princess Beatrice, who walked with her partner Eduardo Mapelli Mozzi, and Prince Eugenie, with her spouse Jack Brooksbank, also attended.
Sarah and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, chat with the Rev Canon Paul Williams after the service. Photo / Getty Images
After the service, the Yorks joined the King and Queen and Prince and Princess of Wales, meeting the waiting public during a walkabout.
The duke could be seen laughing and throwing up his hands as he joked with well-wishers, and the duchess collected flowers and spoke to many of those waiting.
Emma Rapps, 31, who came to see the royals for the first time with husband Andy, also 31, was thrilled when the duchess walked over to accept her flowers and commented on their shared hair colour.
“Ah, redheads stick together,” the duchess said, as she accepted the flowers and chuckled.
🎄 This morning The King and Queen and other members of the Royal Family attended a Christmas service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham. pic.twitter.com/dULDciZBtX
Emma, who lives in Devon, said: “I think it was lovely when they first came to the church. It was the first time we saw her and I was really pleasantly surprised.
“It was a lovely comment to make and she’s right — redheads do need to stick together.”
Barbara Locke, 80, of Sleaford, Lincolnshire, has been travelling to Sandringham each Christmas Day for more than 30 years to see the royal family.
She said about the duchess: “She’s a nice girl, she fits in and I think she’s genuine. She’s lovely and I like seeing her with the royal family again.
“I’m a royalist, I love the royals. I shook the King’s hand, that’s made my day — I’m happy.”
Rachel Bylo, 85, travelled from St Albans and got the chance to wish the duchess a merry Christmas: “I suppose I’m a royalist and this was a good spot to see all of them.
“Sarah’s girls are here so it’s nice to have her here with her girls — Eugenie and Beatrice are lovely.”
