It’s Catherine Walker for Christmas Church Services with William, George & Charlotte!

The Duchess was in Catherine Walker for Christmas Day services that included Prince George and Princess Charlotte for the first time!

You can see it was a bright, crisp day on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk. 

The Cambridge family joined HM, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and many other royal family members for the Christmas Day service at the church of St. Mary Magdalene.  Below (from left to right), Sophie, Countess of Wessex; Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Beatrice’s fiancé; James, Viscount Severn (the Wessex’s son); Princess Beatrice; Lady Louise Windsor, the oldest Wessex child. 

Richard Palmer of The Express tweeted a video of the royals as they made their way past well-wishers who had waited to see them.

The Royal Family walk to church on Christmas Day. pic.twitter.com/gF6nN0uFE0

— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) December 25, 2019

 

George and Charlotte seemed to take the appearance in stride, holding onto both parents’ hands while making their way down the path to church. It has to be a daunting experience, as the crowds are very close to the path. 

Richard Palmer also shared a video of everyone arriving at church, including HM, who arrives last.

The Queen arrives at church on Christmas Day, accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall, as George and Charlotte walk in with their parents. pic.twitter.com/af2Tzdg0xG

— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) December 25, 2019

 

HM wore a rich red ensemble, the perfect color for the day. 

The Queen and Prince Charles leaving the church after the service concluded. 

Kate and Charlotte. 

ITV tweeted a video as HM and other royals left the church.

The Queen leaves the annual Christmas church service at Sandringham with members of the Royal Family. Prince Philip and Prince Andrew weren’t there – Prince George and Princess Charlotte attended for the first time https://t.co/nEgj14mXe5 pic.twitter.com/jEQ0QULpiK

— ITV News (@itvnews) December 25, 2019

Charlotte shaking hands. 

A view of all four Cambridges following the service. You can see Sir Tim Laurence on the left, Princess Anne’s husband. 

The Prince and Princess with their mother. 

Another mother-daughter view. 

Richard also posted a video of the family heading over to greet the crowds.

The Cambridges head over to the crowd after the Queen’s departure. pic.twitter.com/UU0lzcRvws

— Richard Palmer (@RoyalReporter) December 25, 2019

 

The Duchess chatting with Charlotte after receiving a lovely bouquet. 

Among the gifts given to Charlotte: a pink flamingo and a hug. 

Here is a look at the vibrant colors worn by Princess Anne, HM, and the Duchess of Cornwall.

And here is a closeup of the brooch worn by HM.

You can see the three purple stones in the floral spray. They look like amethysts but I am no expert in this arena. The color coordinates perfectly with the hues worn by Princess Anne and the Duchess of Cornwall. UPDATE: With thanks to Poppy for her comment, the piece is called the Queen Mother’s Ruby and Diamond Bouquet Brooch, and the darker stones are rubies, not amethysts.  We learn more in this post from Her Majesty’s Jewel Vault:

One of The Queen Mother’s many brooches was this bouquet of sprays of diamonds and rubies tied with a diamond bow, which has an unknown history. As with the rest of her jewels, it passed to The Queen in 2002, following The Queen Mother’s death.

It’s a delicate and dainty piece, but actually pretty large for a brooch. It does not seem to have been worn often by The Queen Mother, and her daughter so far is following suit. She has used it only a handful of times, starting with the Royal Maundy Service in 2008.

Now for our look at what Kate wore, a custom Catherine Walker design incorporating the bodice, belt, and sleeves of the ‘Larissa’ style.

Crafted of a “luxurious, mocha mohair and faux fur,” the design “lends a distinctly wintry Russian aesthetic to this beautiful tailored coatdress.” Kate’s design dispensed with the faux fur skirt, instead using the mohair fabric for the body of the coat. Here you have a better sense of the fabric texture and the buttons.

Many thanks to Gabi for discovering the Larissa!

Beneath the coat, Kate brought back the Michael Kors ‘Peacock’ dress first worn in Blackpool in March.The Duchess brought back a Sylvia Fletcher for Lock & Co. hat that was also worn St. Patrick’s Day 2017 and on Christmas Day 2015. The point on the front of the hat was rounded between the Christmas 2015 and St Patrick’s Day wearing.  

Kate appeared to be wearing the Josie heels ($475), in ‘greenery’ suede. It is a classic point-toe style with a 3″ block heel.  

Kate has worn this style in navy blue. Many thanks to Gabi for quickly identifying the heels.

She carried a bag that looks much the Natasha Clutch ($425) in ‘greenery’ kid suede, minus the gold piping accents. 

We saw the return of the Kiki McDonough green amethyst and diamond earrings that were first noted during the Northern Ireland trip. 

I  have a What Kate’s Kids Wore post up covering what the children wore today for church, as well as their looks in the new black and white photo.

UPDATE: The Daily Mail has a story about the woman hugging Charlotte and George.  Evidently Charlotte noticed the pink flamingo named ‘Felicity’ the woman was holding when walking past her on the way to church. The Mail reports that after church, “…the little princess made a bee-line for Felicity and her proud owner; wheelchair-bound Gemma Clark, 39, who from 15 months of age has suffered from cerebral palsy.”  

More from the story:

‘Felicity was a 39th birthday present from my older sister, Fran, and she goes everywhere with me. She’s like my lucky mascot,’ says Gemma.

‘But Charlotte kept looking at Felicity and I thought: “I wonder if the Princess would like her?” So when she came over with Prince George and their parents after the service, I asked her: “Would you like Felicity?”

‘Her face lit up and she said: “Yes please.” I told Charlotte: “You don’t have to call her Felicity if you don’t want to; you can call her whatever you want.”‘

‘Then both she and George gave me a hug and I was on cloud nine. They were so sweet and it is a moment I will remember for ever as being special. The atmosphere was just awesome.’

We’ll leave you with a new photo that was released by Kensington Palace last night. Taken by the Duchess, it shows Prince William, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte and Prince George at the family’s estate in Norfolk. 

Merry, Merry Christmas wishes to all celebrating today!

NOTE: The post originally said the Kors dress was worn in Blackpool in August. It has been amended to reflect the correct month for the Blackpool visit, March. Many thanks to Vicky for her comment alerting me to the error.