Chris Jackson/Getty ImagesA pregnant Kate Middleton, aka Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and husband Prince William joined his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, and the rest of the Royal Family at an annual Christmas Day church service on Thursday but one little prince was unable to attend.
Will and Kate opted not to bring 1-year-old Prince George, which disappointed a mother and her 8-year-old daughter, one of some 2,000 well-wishers who gathered near St. Mary Magdalene Church at the queen's country estate in Sandringham, Norfolk, and gave flowers and other gifts to the Royals.
"I'm sorry we didn't bring George but you would have heard him in the church," the U.K. newspaper The Telegraph quoted the duchess as telling the little girl, who had just given her a Milky Bar (Nestle white chocolate) selection box for her son.
The fans had arrived as early as 5:30 a.m. William and Kate walked in together and the service lasted about an hour, E! News has learned. After it was finished, the couple and Will's brother Prince Harry stayed to greet and speak to the crowd.
Kate, who is reportedly five months pregnant, looked stylish as usual, wearing a brown pillbox hat and covering up her baby bump with a long, brown, double breasted tweed coat. William sported a similar-style coat, in navy, worn over a blue shirt and pink tie.
In addition to the queen, Kate's parents, Michael Middleton and Carole Middleton, brother James Middleton and sister Pippa Middleton, who sported a burgundy coat, plus Will and Harry's grandfather and the queen's husband, Prince Philip, and their dad, Prince Charles, were also in attendance, while their stepmother Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, was also absent. The Telegraph reported she is nursing a bad back.
The queen, who wore a magenta dress coat over a two-toned fuchsia and magenta dress and a matching hat, recently gave her annual, televised Christmas speech. This year's spurred buzz in particular because she mentioned the HBO show Game of Thrones, whose Belfast set she had visited earlier this year, while speaking about reconciliation.
See more pics of the Royal Family arriving at and leaving their Christmas Day church service.
E!'s new scripted series The Royals premieres Sunday, March 15, at 10 p.m.! Follow The Royalson Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates!
—Reporting by Melanie Bromley