Christmas latest: White Christmas confirmed in one area - as Andrew's daughters join Royal Family in Sandringham without father

A lush Christmas tree is the centrepiece of every holiday season. 

While shopping for one is a staple for many, nine-year-old Ryan Brook started farming trees himself instead, attracting media attention across the country.

Then, Ryan wanted to save the money he made to pay for university. 

Sixteen years later, our live chief sub-editor Liam Trim caught up with him to see how his venture has gone...

Christmas miracles really do happen, then. At least, that's the case for one lucky punter in the US.

How lucky? Well, for the price of just one lottery ticket in Arkansas, one person now gets to choose how they'd like to receive their mega jackpot.

That's a jackpot of $1.8bn, by the way, making it the second-largest lottery win ever across the pond.

The winning numbers were drawn just before midnight, giving one player an unlikely (and we mean odds of one in 292.2 million) and early Christmas present.

Here's the only catch (and we use that word very loosely):

They have a choice of either a gradual payout of the full figure over 29 years - or an upfront lump sum of $834.9m before tax.

That's had some of us here talking about what we'd do if we were in their shoes - aside from not being in the office on Christmas Day.

What do you think? Stretch out the payment, or one big payday?

Let us know in the poll below...

Throughout the day, we're bringing you the stories behind the classic Christmas movies and songs that are bound to accompany you today...

Next up is perhaps the most recent classic Christmas song, which partly managed to establish itself thanks to modern technology: Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You.

First released 29 October 1994

What's it about

The singer reveals she doesn't care about the regular materialistic aspects of Christmas because she wants to be reunited with her lover on the day.

The story behind the song

As with many Christmas staples, the song is proof that something iconic can come from commercial interests. 

The song was written as part of what was expected to become a solid-selling Christmas album as a follow-up to Carey's successful Music Box record.

Carey described it as a "fun" song with a 1960s feel to complement the album's ballads and standard Christian hymns. 

During the professional recording session - which Carey called "amazing, like no other" - she put up Christmas decorations to set the mood.

Retrospectively, she claimed to have written the song "basically as a kid on my little Casio keyboard" while the 1946 film It's A Wonderful Life played in the background. Her co-writer, Walter Afanasieff, dismissed this as a "tall tale".

Why it's a Christmas classic

The song has captured audiences with its unusually upbeat tone. Last year, it topped the list of most-streamed Christmas songs in the UK, and also the main US charts, the Billboard Hot 100, for the sixth year in a row on Christmas.

The song had a slow start, however: it was not released as a single in the US at first, which first barred it from listing on the Hot 100.

With the rise of digital downloads and later streaming, Americans could finally buy the song individually, which led to an explosion in popularity. 

It hit Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019, 25 years after its release.

Carey has continued to feed off this success, which earned her the nickname Queen of Christmas - something she unsuccessfully tried to trademark in 2022.

By Nick Alipour, live news reporter

At Christmas, the world can seem a little more humane than usual - even in wartime.

One such glimpse of peace appears each year in what is widely considered the world’s longest-running communist insurgency.

Fought in the Philippines, the guerrilla conflict between the Maoist New People’s Army (NPA) and the Filipino government is set to enter its 57th year in 2026 and has claimed some 60,000 lives.

But once a year, the fighting tends to pause as both sides down their arms for Christmas.

The tradition has been observed in many years since at least 1986 - a rare moment of restraint in a world that is now more violent than at any point since the Second World War.

According to the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), the number of conflicts involving states reached its highest level since 1946 at the end of last year. In all, 61 conflicts were active in 2024, nearly twice as many as 20 years ago.

Last year was also the fourth-most violent since the end of the Cold War, surpassed only by the three preceding years in terms of battle deaths.

Our team at Sandringham has obtained the order of service at St Mary Magdalene Church this morning.

Just flick through below to see for yourself.

While royals greet crowds at Sandringham - some of whom have been waiting since well before sunrise - many fans have been hoping to chat with Kate in particular.

And the Princess of Wales, who has been getting treatment for cancer, seems keen not to disappoint.

She's been on the receiving end of several well-wishes and flowers as she gets up close with the public.

Another year, another traditional royal visit to Sandringham complete.

The Royal Family is now making their way back from St Mary Magdalene Church.

This is the point where we usually see them mingle with crowds that have gathered to catch a glimpse of the family at the King's private estate.

Our news correspondent Mollie Malone has been there all morning, with fans - some from as far as Texas and Canada - telling her why they made the trip today (see 8.59).

One person they won't see there is Andrew, who remains at a distance from the family since his royal titles were stripped.

But his daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, have joined the royals today.

Watch along in the live stream at the top of the page.

By Amelia Harper, home news correspondent in south London

Meanwhile, marking another Christmas tradition in south London this morning were dozens of swimmers.

They're certainly braver than I am - it's a very chilly morning here at Brockwell Lido.

The pool isn't heated, and the water temperature is a cold 7.4C.

800 swimmers had booked a slot to take a Christmas dip, and they were all having a great time.

I've seen several Santas… though they must be tired from delivering presents all night.

The pool was open from 9am until 10.30am, and some visitors were just here for a leisurely swim, while others were taking their laps more seriously.

I hear a lot of positive affirmations before they enter the water, as well as some "oohs" and "aahs", and most of the swimmers are going in for a few laps at most.

National conversations about immigration "continue to divide us" at a time when "our common humanity should unite us".

That's according to the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, who's made her view clear in her Christmas Day sermon.

Acting in her current role as the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally - who will be legally made Archbishop of Canterbury in January - told St Paul's Cathedral: "Joy is born exactly where despair expects to triumph.

"As joy breaks through in our lives, it gives us the opportunity to become people who make room.

"Room in our homes. Room in our churches. Room in our public conversations and in the attitudes we hold.

"The joy asks us to allow our lives to be interrupted by the needs of others, just as the people of Bethlehem were interrupted."

Dame Sarah, 63, added: "This insight matters because our own society carries uncertainties that can wear us down.

"Many feel the weight of economic pressure. Some feel pushed to the margins.

"Our national conversations about immigration continue to divide us, when our common humanity should unite us."

Spotted at the centre of the royal entourage arriving at Sandringham just moments ago were Andrew's daughters.

Beatrice and Eugenie are there this morning, without their father, who has been stripped of his royal titles.

Our news correspondent Mollie Malone is there, and says it is "significant" we've seen both of them. 

"It's certainly something that royal watchers were looking out for," she adds.

"The Royal Family have been clear that despite what's been going on with their father, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, that they were very supportive of the girls, and they were both invited to yesterday's carol service."