The Cambridges & the Middletons Join the Queen for Sunday Service!

I do love an unexpected royal appearance! Not only was it wonderful to see Her Majesty at Church today as she recovers from a heavy cold - as an added bonus the monarch was joined by the Cambridges.

The Palace decline to reveal if Her Majesty would be attending service until this morning leaving many concerned. It's wonderful to see the Queen feeling well enough to go and slowly easing back into her normal routine. Looking regal in royal blue, HM and Prince Philip travelled to St Mary Magdalene Church by car this morning.

More from the Telegraph:

'Colin Bunn, 70, of Snettisham, Norfolk, said: "We live locally so we come to Sandringham quite frequently and were here on Christmas Day. She looked beautiful and came down the steps unaided." His wife Pam, 67, said: "She looked good. She had a lovely outfit on and looked well." The Queen broke protocol for the first time in her almost 64-year reign when she decided not to attend both her traditional Christmas and New Year's church services. She delayed her annual trip to Sandringham for the holidays, opting to travel one day later than planned by helicopter rather than by train to shorten the travel time.'

The Cambridges made the walk from the house accompanied by the Middleton family. Tomorrow Kate celebrates her 35th birthday and the family are no doubt enjoying a celebratory weekend to mark the milestone. Surrounded by family and close friends, Kate will mark the day privately with a relaxed dinner on the picturesque Sandringham estate. It's becoming something of a tradition seeing the royals and the Middletons making a post-Christmas trip to St Mary's.

William and Kate left to cheers from a crowd of local well-wishers who turned out to see the royals.

Michael and Carole Middleton chatted with the Marquee and Marchioness (the lady in the wide-brimmed black hat) of Cholomnodeley. David and Rose are neighbours of William and Kate, and the two couples are said to have forged a close friendship during their time at Anmer Hall.

Below we see the Marchioness, Rose, making her way to church with William and Kate's close friends and Princess Charlotte's godparents, Sophie Carter and Thomas van Straubenzee.

You'll recall the Duchess attended a gala for EACH at their stately home Houghton Hall last year.

A stylish Pippa Middleton with her fiancé James Matthews.

William and Kate chatting with locals.

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Her Majesty and Prince Philip leaving the service.

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The Duchess was wrapped up in her forest green Sportsmax coat first seen on Christmas Day 2015 and again last February for a day of engagements in Edinburgh.

The Long Belted Coat is made of green virgin wool and comes from the Sportsmax Autumn/Winter 2015 Collection. It features a V neckline and two deep side pockets. It originally retailed for $1,800.

Farfetch

The always informative Perth Fashion quickly identified Kate's pretty scarf as the sold out L.K. Bennett Sammi Blue Silk Scarf. The £110 silk scarf is described as "an elegant addition to any wardrobe".

L.K. Bennett

Kate sported a new grey hat.

With thanks Kate J from What Kate Wore Facebook, it's been confirmed Kate wore the Sumac Luxury Alpaca Fur Hat. The £225 piece is described as "Divinely soft, fluffy and warm, with a generous brim, our luxury alpaca hat is a knock-out – perfect for a winter wedding or the races. As with all our products, our luxury alpaca hat is derived from natural herd loss in the bitter Peruvian winters and handmade using Fair Trade principles. Light, breathable and hypoallergenic with no lanolin content."

Sumac

And it very much looks like the Duchess completed the look with her Emmy Shoes Valerie Carbon pumps. The £400 pumps are described as: "A beautifully classic court shoe with a discreet platform to help manage the sexy 11.5cm heel in darkest grey suede with leather lining and natural nubuck sole."

Emmy Shoes

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Also today, those who have sent the Cambridges a Christmas card began receiving replies last week. Which photo did the couple chose? There has been a fantastic selection taken throughout the year. A lovely shot of William and Kate with George and Charlotte at the children's party in Canada made the cut in the end. Taken by the incredibly talented Arthur Edwards, it's a great family shot. Our lovely reader Wendy from Fife kindly emailed a photo of the card she received.

And a look at the accompanying message.

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I couldn't conclude the post with saying an enormous thank you to all for your outstanding effort in trying to improve the quality of the comments section. When I asked readers to consider using names instead of posting anonymously I never anticipated so much support. Already I've seen a vast improvement in terms of comments coming through for moderation and a friendlier atmosphere is evident on the blog already. Overall, I want this to be an inclusive place for readers to feel welcome to share their opinions and I can see we are very much on our way to a more open, communicative and respectful community.

Given the feedback I've received in recent days, I would very much like to go ahead with phasing out Anonymous posting. So if you're just joining us, please simply click the "Name/URL" option (you can leave the URL blank) and leave any name you like (there's a fun list of suggestions in the comments of the last post). You can also sign in with a Google account or Open ID if you wish. I have been truly touched by your support on this and hope to make this blog as enjoyable as possible for all who are kind enough to stop by!

Finally, I would like to wish the Duchess a very, very Happy 35th birthday! I hope she has a wonderful day with her loved ones.