A right royal downpour! King Charles and Queen Camilla brave the rain as they head to church in Sandringham

The King and Queen faced the worst of the Norfolk weather this morning, as they headed to the Sunday church service at Sandringham. 

Both Charles, 76, and Camilla, 77, were armed with umbrellas as they made the short journey across the royal estate to St Mary Magdalene Church.  

Sporting the beige woolen overcoat that he’s famously owned for decades, the monarch kept warm and dry as he braved the Arctic temperatures that are currently sweeping across the UK.

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla donned an elegant chocolate brown dress coat with long brown boots and a fur-brimmed hat for the Sunday morning church visit – the couple’s first of 2025. 

She also sheltered from the icy rain with an umbrella she’s frequently seen using, a transparent, silver handled dome brolly thought to be from Selfridges.  

In spite of the leaden skies above, the monarch and Queen Camilla looked in good spirits as they were greeted by members of the church’s clergy including the rector Revd Canon Dr Paul Williams.

However, the royal couple did appear to make a swift entrance into the service in a bid to outwit the freezing temperatures.  

Even the royals aren’t safe from the Arctic weather that’s cloaking the UK on Sunday, with the Queen – dressed for the freeze – making a hasty retreat into church 

Camilla carried her favoured transparent umbrella, thought to be from Selfridges, as she headed to the service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham

The couple are currently residing on the Sandringham estate after spending Christmas at the Norfolk royal residence, as is tradition for the royals. 

The family attended a Christmas Day service at the same church, where they were greeted by crowds of well-wishers. 

Alongside the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales were also in attendance at Sandringham over the holidays. 

The Princess of Wales was seen walking around with her husband Prince William and their children, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte.

Other members of the family, including Zara Tindall, Lady Louise and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, also spent the holiday season in North Norfolk.

A New Year hand shake: The King is greeted by Revd Canon Dr Paul Williams as he arrives for the Sunday morning service

The respite in Sandringham is likely much needed this year, with Queen Camilla recovering from a bout of pneumonia that saw her pare down public duties in the run up to the festive season. 

And the King’s battle with an undisclosed form of cancer, also continues.

It was revealed that Charles will continue to need treatment in 2025.

A Buckingham Palace source has said the 76-year-old’s health is still being ‘managed’ but is ‘moving in a positive direction’. 

His Majesty intends to return to a full programme of public duties in 2025. 

This will include ‘exciting’ UK and international visits in the first half of the year, an insider said.

‘His treatment has been moving in a positive direction, as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into the new year’, the Palace source said.

Before Christmas, Charles made a wry joke about his health condition when he was asked how he was doing at an event in east London.

He went to a community event at Waltham Forest Town Hall in Walthamstow alongside his wife, Queen Camilla. 

The King and Queen share a joke as they exit their royal cars ahead of the traditional Sunday sermon

The couple are currently residing at Sandringham as is tradition for the Monarch during the festive and New Year period

The royals gathered at the estate for Christmas, with the Prince and Princess of Wales attending the service with their three children

Princess Charlotte and Prince George standing alongside their father, Prince William, on Christmas Day

 Harvinder Rattan, a Sikh faith representative, said: ‘Your Majesty, good morning, how are you?’

The King, 76, replied, jokingly: ‘I’m still alive.’

Charles has increased his engagements recently, including a visit to Apple’s London HQ and a meeting with CEO Tim Cook. 

‘You could almost forget at the start of the year this was a man that faced the shock of being diagnosed with cancer’, a source said to Sky News.

Charles has been carrying on with his duties despite facing a personally challenging year in which both he and the Princess of Wales were diagnosed with cancer.

News of Charles’ cancer, undisclosed in its form, came in February, after it was discovered while he was treated in hospital for an enlarged prostate in January.

He cancelled all face-to-face public duties but returned in April and has since travelled to France for D-Day commemorations, hosted incoming state visits for the Emperor of Japan and the Emir of Qatar, and undertaken a hectic tour to Australia and Samoa with the Queen, despite still undergoing outpatient cancer treatment.