Christmas latest: Andrew's daughters join Royal Family at Sandringham without father - as King shares personal message

By Rhiannon Mills, royal correspondent

It's a rare time of the year when the King can speak without seeking any guidance or advice from the government, which is what makes his annual Christmas message particularly personal and an insight into what really matters to him.

While the King doesn't mention any specific examples of division in the UK or global conflicts, his message, with its heavy emphasis on community - and we're told the themes of "kindness, compassion and hope" - appears to be one with a strong social purpose, and hints at his desire to play his part in healing divisions between communities and different countries.

Listening to him, you can't help but feel there is an underlying nod to the protests we've seen in the UK on migration, the St George flag movement, conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan.

The appearance of a choir from Ukraine is the only clear display of a conflict he wants to draw attention to.

Watch: King Charles's Christmas message in full

The late addition of pictures from the aftermath of the Bondi Beach attack, an example of the importance he puts on being connected to all parts of the Commonwealth and what matters to people right now.

It's the most outward, rather than inward-looking message - deliberately so we're told.

There is nothing personal in it. No mentions of his health, and certainly no nods to what has been a very difficult year for the royals.

His message about learning from the past, as we continue to face difficult times, undoubtedly has its own resonance when you consider the headlines around his brother this week and more widely during 2025.

But, as he also encourages us to take a break from our screens, it's the broader message he conveys and how it relates to us all, that he would rather we focus on as we head into 2026.

We've already seen them going to church earlier, but here's a bit more on how the Royal Family will spend their Christmas Day.

We know the King, the Queen and their guests will enjoy a turkey lunch before sitting down to watch King Charles's address (see our 15.02 post for more on that).

Then, the monarch has chosen Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha's new film Christmas Karma as the movie to be screened at Sandringham this Christmas.

The film is a modern retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

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, we bring you the story behind a quintessentially British movie inspired by a very American Tarantino smash hit: Love Actually.

First released 14 November 2003

What's it about

A star-studded cast acts out ten interconnected episodes of people finding and losing love in London and elsewhere around the holidays - including a cuckolded home-maker, a washed-up rock star and the UK prime minister.

The story behind the film

The film was the directing debut of Richard Curtis, the writer behind the Hugh Grant-powered British romcoms that conquered the world from the 1990s.

Originally, it had nothing to do with Christmas. Curtis started writing two separate scripts: one was the Love Actually storyline in which Colin Firth's writer falls for his Portuguese housekeeper; the other was the one in which Hugh Grant's prime minister falls for... well, one of his housekeepers. 

It was Quentin Tarantino's very un-Christmassy anthology-like film Pulp Fiction that prompted Curtis to interlink several such love stories. 

Christmas came in "halfway through the writing", Curtis said, because he's "always been very sort of emotional about Christmas".

The impact

Love Actually grossed six times more than it cost to make (some £180m), placing it among the highest-grossing Christmas movies ever. 

It added another chapter to the quintessentially British Curtis romcoms that made international audiences fall in love with the Cool Britannia of the Blair years.

But the morality rooted in the same era, including the lack of diversity, hasn't aged that well.

Kimberley Sheehan, lead film programmer at the BFI Southbank, notes the film was originally going to feature extra storylines with more diverse characters. 

An LGBT storyline was probably cut for time, she says, even if traces could still be found.

Not even those involved seem thrilled now: Curtis described his final arrangement of the different episodes as a "catastrophe" and regretted fat-shaming jokes and cutting the gay part.

Grant has bashed his famous dance scene at No 10 as "absolute hell". 

Why it's a Christmas classic

Sheehan says the stellar performance of the ensemble cast is "at the heart of the power of Love Actually".

"There is also an aspirational fantasy element to Love Actually which gives it strong appeal to international audiences. Although it’s deeply British, it presents a very shiny, cozy and glamorous London... There is drama in the storylines, but it is around relationship troubles and grief and the film shows love conquering all. 

Part of the film's fun is the unrealistic rules of its universe... Whether you enjoy these plot solutions or enjoy poking fun at them, they are iconic and distinctively Love Actually.

We've seen (and heard from) the Royal Family today, but sticking to the theme, here's a bit more from the family's earlier church visit.

Hundreds gathered in the cold to catch a glimpse of the royals as they walked to and from a church a short stroll from Sandringham House.

The Princess of Wales chatted to dozens of well-wishers for almost 20 minutes, as her three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, also received gifts.

Charlotte gave Gemma Clark, 45, and her father Paul Clark, 75, a hug when the fans asked for the embrace.

Gemma, from Long Sutton, near King's Lynn, is a regular at the event and brought Charlotte a bookmark and a ballerina brooch as presents.

She said:

"I asked Charlotte for a hug and she said yes, it was absolutely amazing, I loved it - I wish I could hug her again. I wasn't surprised, she's given me hugs in the past."

Paul gave William a set of origami planes for his sons and said:

"William told me George would be able to name all those planes, they're historic ones like Spitfires and Hurricanes."

'You'd better brush your teeth'

Tom Hirst, 42, who lives in Norwich, was with his sister Victoria Holland, 43.

They chatted to William and Kate, and Tom said: "The children were fascinated with the chocolate selections they were given and William told them 'you'd better brush your teeth'. I think he was referring to after they've eaten the chocolates!"

Throughout today, we'll also be bringing you some of the best festive stories from our team at Paste BN. Here, news reporter Michael Havis has spoken to someone about celebrating Christmas where it's banned.

By Michael Havis, news reporter

When Il-yong Ju was a child, something strange would happen in his tiny village in rural North Korea every December 25th.

His grandfather would visit and send him out to the mountains to cut down a pine tree. He would bring it home and small balls of cotton were hung on its branches.

In many countries, it's a familiar ritual: setting up and decorating a tree for Christmas Day. But in North Korea, December 25th is just another day and Christmas is effectively banned.

Ju said: "In my home, we just celebrated that kind of thing. But we didn't know what that day was about; just every December 25th, my grandfather asked us to do that.

"My grandfather taught us 'hey grandson, the other countries beside North Korea, every December 25th, they make this kind of tree and celebrate this day'."

Watch Il-yong Ju recount his experience here and read on below...

While many Christmas traditions have by now become internationalised, every country still has its own customs.

Take the quiz to test your knowledge around what people in other countries do around Christmas.

Historian Sir Anthony Seldon has just been speaking to us on Paste BN, after King Charles finished his Christmas address.

He tells chief presenter Mark Austin about the role religion plays in the monarch's message, and how it was similar to the late Queen Elizabeth's own festive messages.

Watch him speaking here...

We've just heard from King Charles, who delivered his annual address.

One part of the monarch's message included a pointed reference to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

While he did not mention the conflict by name, the Songs for Ukraine Chorus Choir sang during the address.

Founded in 2023 in response to Russia's invasion, it brings together singers from across the Ukrainian community and supporters living in the UK.

The carol they sang inside Westminster Abbey, Carol of the Bells, is based on a song by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych. 

King Charles has hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a number of occasions this year.

On Paste BN, we've spoken to the leaders of the choir. Watch that here...

King Charles has shared a need for kindness, compassion and hope in "times of uncertainty" in his Christmas message this year.

Made from Westminster Abbey, the monarch says: "Stories of the triumph of courage over adversity give me hope".

The King also appears to encourage us all to switch off from our phones and devices, to "allow our souls to renew".

In the annual message - watch him making it in the stream at the top of the page - with the theme of pilgrimage, the King used the traditional Christmas story, the journey of the holy family and the shepherds and wise men visiting Jesus to reflect the challenges society faces today.

"In each case," he says, "they journeyed with others; and relied on the companionship and kindness of others. Through physical and mental challenge, they found an inner strength."

He adds:

"To this day, in times of uncertainty, these ways of living are treasured by all the great faiths and provide us with deep wells of hope: of resilience in the face of adversity; peace through forgiveness; simply getting to know our neighbours and, by showing respect to one another, creating new friendships."

Images are also shown of the aftermath of the recent Bondi Beach attack and the King's visit to the scene of the Manchester synagogue attack as he talks about the bravery of unexpected heroes.

"This year, I have heard so many examples of this, both here and abroad," he says.

Watch his full address here...

In five minutes, King Charles will deliver his fourth Christmas message to the nation. 

This year, the annual address was filmed in the Lady Chapel inside Westminster Abbey, the second time the monarch has recorded it away from a royal residence.

The palace has revealed the abbey was chosen for the setting this year to reflect a major theme of the message - pilgrimage.

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