Queen Elizabeth II, close family celebrate Christmas

Queen Elizabeth II and her close family celebrated Christmas with a morning service at St. Mary Magdalene Church near her rural retreat at Sandringham in eastern England.

It was a festive event Wednesday as queen was joined for first time by Prince George, 6, and Princess Charlotte, 4, two eldest children of Prince William and his wife, Kate. y left 1-year-old Prince Louis at home.

George and Charlotte walked to church hand in hand with ir parents. Prince Charles, ir grandfar, walked next to m.

queen arrived in a Bentley with Charles' wife, Camilla. Her elderly husband, Prince Philip, stayed at home. He was discharged from a hospital Tuesday after treatment for an undisclosed ailment. Philip, 98, has retired from public duties.

Prince Andrew, who has stepped down from royal duties because of his association with a convicted sex offender, attended an earlier church service with his bror Charles at his side.

Prince Harry, his wife, Meghan, and ir 7-month-old son, Archie, did t attend. y are spending holiday in Canada with Meghan's mor, Doria Ragland.

royals were greeted by several hundred well-wishers who had gared outside church grounds.

queen's traditional pre-recorded Christmas mess will be broadcast throughout Britain and Commonwealth nations Wednesday afteron. Excerpts released ahead of time reveal that queen plans to ackwledge it has been a challenging year.

Talking about need for reconciliation and forgiveness, Elizabeth says: “ path, of course, is t always smooth, and may at times this year have felt quite bumpy, but small steps can make a world of difference."

She is thought to be referring both to Britain's laborious exit from European Union, which is w almost certainly going to happen on Jan. 31 after voters gave pro-Brexit Conservative Party a comfortable majority in Parliament, and to royal family's difficulties.

problems this year included Andrew's retreat from public duties following a disastrous TV interview in which he defended his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and failed to show empathy for Epstein's young female victims.

family has also endured what many close observers think is a rift between William and Harry. Both Harry and Meghan have complained about constant scrutiny by media as y settle into family life with Archie.

___ Katz reported from London.