Are Prince George and Princess Charlotte Making Their Royal Christmas Walk Debut This Year?
It may be a very royal Christmas for Prince George and Princess Charlotte!
Each year the royal family makes their public walk to the holiday services at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on Queen Elizabeth‘s Sandringham estate — and they may have some new faces joining them next week.
A source tells PEOPLE that both George, 6, and Charlotte, 4, are set to make their Christmas Day debut this year alongside parents Prince William and Kate Middleton — but that things could always change.
Prince Louis made his big debut at Trooping the Colour this year, but at 1, he’s likely too young to join his parents and siblings on Christmas.
While it would be Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s first time joining the royals at church on Christmas, it won’t be the first time fans saw the adorable siblings on the holiday. In 2016, Prince William and Kate opted to spend the holiday with Kate’s family — and George and Charlotte were spotted attending a church service near Kate’s childhood home in Bucklebury.
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Prince William was 5 years old when he made his royal Christmas debut in 1987, while Prince Harry attended for the first time a year later when he was 4.
Last year, William and Kate revealed that they were just like any other parents on Christmas morning as they received a very early wake-up call from their excited children.
When a fan asked the pair how early they got up, William replied, “This morning was about 5 a.m.” Kate smiled at the answer as the crowd moaned at the early time.
“Very early,” Kate added. “But it was lovely to see their faces.”
The royal family follows the tradition of opening a few presents on Christmas Eve after they’ve gathered at the Queen’s country estate in Norfolk. In lieu of expensive gifts, they exchange silly presents as a family. (Kate reportedly gave brother-in-law Prince Harry a plastic Grow Your Own Girlfriend kit one Christmas — something he won’t be needing now with wife Meghan Markle by his side!)
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Meghan, 38, and Harry, 35, previously announced they are skipping the annual holiday festivities at Sandringham this year. Meghan made her Christmas debut with the royal family in 2017 after the couple’s engagement was announced, and again in 2018 after they were married.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are looking forward to extended family time towards the end of this month,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “Having spent the last two Christmases at Sandringham, Their Royal Highnesses will spend the holiday this year, as a new family, with the Duchess’ mother Doria Ragland. This decision is in line with precedent set previously by other members of the Royal Family, and has the support of Her Majesty The Queen.”
