Barely a few months have passed since the Queen’s death, and already the tectonic plates of the royal family have shifted immeasurably.
King Charles seems to have slipped into his new role almost effortlessly, and the Queen Consort’s natural warmth and humor – legendary among her close friends but perhaps not always seen in public – really came to the fore.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have also flourished along with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
It can’t be easy for kids that young to find themselves in the spotlight so often, and yet their parents seem to strike just the right balance of allowing public access to them and protecting their privacy — and their vastly different personalities shine through to permit .
SARAH VINE: King Charles seems to have slipped into his new role and the Queen’s natural warmth and humor almost effortlessly. Pictured: King Charles and the Queen Consort at the Christmas service at Sandringham
SARAH VINE: We were fixated on the ‘Fab Four’, with the Duchess of Sussex bringing all the glamour, the then Duchess of Cambridge being more Home Counties than Hollywood in comparison. Pictured: The Waleses and the Sussexes attended Christmas service in 2017
Pictures of Louis in shorts made me laugh. Kids this age can be obsessed with wearing certain things – I remember my daughter going through a phase where she insisted on nothing but shorts, come rain, wind, sun or snow. Maybe young Louis is just as stubborn.
The children – not just the Waleses but other smaller royals including Lena Tindall and Savannah Phillips – were front and center this year. Such a contrast too from a few years ago when all eyes were on Harry and Meghan, the new royal superstars.
Back then we were fixated on the ‘Fab Four’, with the Duchess of Sussex bringing all the glamour, the then Duchess of Cambridge more Home Counties than Hollywood by comparison.
Not yesterday. The Princess of Wales looked absolutely stunning in an elegant olive green coat, topped by a rather daring Philip Treacy trilby hat (all the rage at the moment) that made her look both chic and edgy.
Prince Charlotte, Camilla Queen Consort, Prince Louis, Prince George and King Charles attend the Christmas service at Sandringham today
SARAH VINE: The children – not just the Waleses but other smaller royals including Lena Tindall and Savannah Phillips – have been front and center this year. Pictured: The Waleses with their children
Princess Eugine and Jack Brooksbank attend Christmas service at Sandringham Church on Christmas Day
SARAH VINE: The Prince and Princess of Wales have also done well, along with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis
Her style has evolved rapidly over the past few years, and this was one of her best looks yet: clean and simple, and the perfect expression of her newfound confidence.
Harry and Meghan were, of course, conspicuous by their absence, having spent the past few weeks throwing lumps of dirt across the Atlantic in increasingly desperate attempts to win over fans and shame the royals at home.
But it didn’t matter that they weren’t there. To be honest, it was actually a relief not to see Harry’s scowl and Meghan’s pained smile. Besides, who needs the Fab Four when you can have the Magnificent Seven: three combined generations of royals who seem to genuinely enjoy their roles and appreciate the place they hold in the hearts of the nation?
The truth is that as difficult and traumatic as the past few months have been, the royal family seems happier and more closely bonded than I can remember.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children speak to the public on the walkway next to St Mary Magdalene Church
SARAH VINE: One can’t help but wonder if Harry, waking up to his cashmere-lined Montecito idyll, didn’t perhaps feel a little pang of regret at seeing them all together at Sandringham. Pictured: The Sussexes at the 2017 Christmas Concert
SARAH VINE: If the estranged Duke and Duchess of Sussex seem driven by bitterness and resentment, unable to forgive or forget, and determined to portray themselves as victims even as they come forward as aggressors, then senior royals are clearly just as determined turning the other cheek. Pictured: Harry and Meghan in their Netflix series
SARAH VINE: Pictures of Louis in shorts made me laugh. Kids this age can be obsessed with wearing certain things – I remember my daughter going through a phase where she insisted on nothing but shorts, come rain, wind, sun or snow. Maybe young Louis is just as stubborn
They stood firm in their patience, steadfastness and general dignity in the face of the most appalling allegations.
While some families may have torn each other apart in their situation, events – not just Meghan and Harry of course, but also the loss of our beloved Queen, the head of the family – have only brought them closer together. This is a closed front that looks completely real.
One can’t help but wonder if Harry, waking up to his cashmere-lined Montecito idyll, might not have felt a small pang of regret at seeing them all together at Sandringham.
Part of him might also have been sad that his own two children couldn’t be there and play with their cousins.
Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales with Prince George of Wales, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales attend the Christmas service at St Mary Magdalene Church
SARAH VINE: The Princess of Wales looked absolutely stunning in an elegant olive green coat topped with a rather daring Philip Treacy trilby hat (all the rage right now) that made her look both chic and edgy
The King appeared in good spirits as he addressed the public at Sandringham this morning
Mike Tindall and Zara Tindall with their daughter Lena Tindall at the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk
Where was the stifling protocol, that heartless obsession with hierarchy that Harry and Meghan keep complaining about? King Charles strolled to the church alongside Zara Tindall. Princess Beatrice’s baby stepson Christopher Woolf (‘Wolfie’, whose mother is American architect Dara Huang and whose father is Beatrice’s husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi) was there: a new addition to this blended royal family, which includes the Queen Consort’s children of hers Marriage, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes and their grandchildren.
The whole atmosphere was one of genuine affection. Even evil Uncle Andrew was allowed to come along, despite rumors he was going to be banned.
If the estranged Duke and Duchess of Sussex appear to be driven by bitterness and resentment, unable to forgive or forget, and determined to portray themselves as victims even when appearing as aggressors, then clearly senior royals are just as determined to support the other turning cheek.
As king, Charles wants to distinguish himself as a man of humility, emotional depth and kindness: qualities all emphasized in his first Christmas address.
If Prince Harry could just take a leaf out of his father’s book, perhaps 2023 could be a happier year for all of them.