Prince George steals the show as Royal Family leaves Christmas Day service
A candy cane was on the menu for one of the youngest members of the Royal Family on Christmas Day.
Prince George stole the show as he left St. Mark’s Church in Englefield, near Bucklebury in southern England, sucking on a candy cane following the Christmas Day service.
Photos of the little prince showed him enjoying his Christmas Day treat as he walked with his parents.
Prince William and his wife Kate, along with their two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, are celebrating Christmas with Kate’s parents.
Meanwhile, a heavy cold kept Queen Elizabeth II from attending the traditional Christmas morning church service near her Sandringham estate in rural Norfolk, England.
It is extremely rare for Elizabeth to miss the service, which is a cornerstone of the royal family’s Christmas celebrations and brings the monarch into contact with local residents who gather outside for a glimpse of her.
“The Queen continues to recover from a heavy cold and will stay indoors to assist with her recovery,” Buckingham Palace said. “Her Majesty will participate in the royal family Christmas celebrations during the day.”
Those festivities usually include a gala lunch. In past years, the royal family would often go for extended walks in the countryside.
Elizabeth has been in generally good health and has maintained an active schedule in the last year despite traveling less often than in the past.
Her husband, 95-year-old Prince Philip, has also cut back his public schedule and his charitable works. He was also suffering from a heavy cold earlier in the week, the palace said.
Philip did attend the Sunday morning Christmas service, waving to well-wishers on his way out of the church. As a concession to age and his cold, he drove to the church instead of walking.
Prince Harry spent time talking to local residents after the church and stopped to pet a dog.
There were no signs of other family members being ill. The flu season has hit many Britons hard in the last two weeks and colds and flus are spreading. A cold can be dangerous for people in their 90s, doctors warn.
Earlier this week, the royal couple delayed their departure from London to Sandringham because of their colds but traveled one day later than expected, using a helicopter instead of a train.