Meghan Markle joins Royal Family for Christmas Day service

Meghan Markle has joined the Royal Family for their traditional Christmas Day service at the Queen's Sandringham estate.

Ms Markle walked arm-in-arm with fiance Prince Harry as they made the short journey from Sandringham House to St Mary Magdalene Church.

The couple walked alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who is pregnant with her third child.

The Duke of Edinburgh, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry arriving for the church service Credit: PA
The Earl of Wessex and Princess Royal Credit: PA

The Queen arrived in a car and joined the group from the house which also included the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales.

Hundreds of well-wishers turned out to catch a glimpse of the royal family, with some calling out "Merry Christmas" as they walked past.

As they made the return journey to Sandringham House after the service was over, Ms Markle and Prince Harry stopped to chat to some of the crowd.

Among them was Judith Wallis, who was on her first Christmas Day visit to Sandringham.

She said Harry recognised her teddy bear called Maureen, which is a mascot for Armed Forces charity SSAFA, and her hat which bore the Gurkha regiment emblem.

She said Ms Markle spoke to them too.

"She said lots of things," said Ms Wallis, who is in her 70s and from Chesterfield.

"She was very, very lovely."