All smiles as 'Fab 4' put on united front at Sandringham Christmas service

Chatting and laughing as they emerged through the gates of Sandringham on Christmas Day, it was clear the new generation of the Royal family intended to finish this year as they did the last - presenting a united front.

There has been speculation of a rift between the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex, supposedly at odds over their contrasting approaches to Royal family life. But on the traditional stroll to the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, both women and their husbands put on a concerted display of cheer, recreating the famous "Fab 4" photograph taken a year ago.

The Queen preached a message of unity in her annual Christmas address to the nation and her own family did not disappoint.

This was the young royals in full festive deployment in front of a crowd of some 800 people who had come to the Norfolk estate, which has been used by the royals to celebrate Christmas since the refurbishment of Windsor Castle in 1988. The different philosophies of the two Duchesses were illustrated by their outfits: the Duchess of Cambridge wore a traditional double-breasted Catherine Walker red coat with velvet trim, which is a tried and trusted look she has adapted numerous times over the course of this year, including most recently during the Remembrance Sunday service at Westminster Abbey.

The Duchess of Sussex, meanwhile, wore a modern black design by Victoria Beckham.

Although regardless of such material differences, they walked side-by-side clearly at ease with each other.

They were flanked by their husbands who similarly seemed in good Christmas cheer. The Duke of Sussex linked arms with his wife, who is seven months' pregnant, and smiled and waved at the crowds.

The young royals were led by the Prince of Wales, wearing his ever-present camel overcoat, although without the Duchess of Cornwall who was absent this year with the same heavy cold that prevented her from attending the Olympia Horse Show last week. The Duke of Edinburgh, a normal stalwart of the event who typically leads the walk through the estate before returning for a glass of India Pale Ale, was also a notable absentee, although Buckingham Palace was quick to insist that he was in perfectly good health and simply preferred to spend the day relaxing at Sandringham House, such is the prerogative of being a 97-year-old who has retired from public duties.

Despite a hard frost settling across Sandringham's 8,000 hectares, the crowds had been building since dawn and queued in the cold.

As is customary, the Queen arrived first at the 16th-century church in the royal Bentley, this year accompanied in the car by the Duke of York. She received a hearty round of applause as she stepped out, wearing a dove grey coat with fuchsia piping and a striking ostrich feather hat.

The Royal family spent roughly 25 minutes inside the church for a service that began with the national anthem and included a retelling of the story of Jesus's birth and the carol O Come Let Us Adore Him before walking back to Sandringham House. After leaving the church, the young royals paused to chat with the crowds who presented them with bouquets of flowers.

The Duchess of Cambridge was overheard telling wellwishers she was going to spend the day "sitting down and chilling out" after being woken early in the day by her three excitable children.

Regardless of the lack of sleep, she admitted to one person in the crowd "they are getting to the age where they are starting to enjoy it".

The conflicting styles and approaches to public life between the houses of Cambridge and Sussex have been illustrated in the run-up to Christmas, even down to their chosen card designs released a fortnight ago.

The Cambridge missive presents the Duke and Duchess and three children as any regular family enjoying an autumn stroll.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, meanwhile, opted for a dazzling and previously unseen photograph depicting them at their wedding reception at Frogmore House, with their backs turned to the camera watching fireworks exploding above them.

Their extended families are also spending very different Christmases.

Thomas Markle, the estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex (who has complained of being shut out by his daughter), reportedly spent Christmas alone in Mexico while the Middleton family gathered for their traditional Christmas at the family home in Bucklebury, Berks, and were spotted on Tuesday during a service at St Mark's Church in Englefield six miles away.

James and Pippa Middleton, with new baby Arthur, joined their parents, Michael and Carole, at the church.

Two weddings, one baby and another on the way, a landmark 70th for the Prince of Wales and rumours of a rift within the gates of Kensington Palace - it has been quite a year for the Windsors, and their fans.

Those in the crowd were keen to play up the positives of the past 12 months and gave short shrift to the idea of any royal fallout.

Jill Lee, 71, from the village of Over in Cambridgeshire, enjoyed a chat with the Duchess of Cambridge after the service. "All this trouble they're saying, I think there's nothing in it," she said.

Ian Casswell, 80, who has visited Sandringham on Christmas Day to see the Royal family for the past three decades, drove for an hour from his home near Boston, Lincs.

He told The Daily Telegraph he thinks the current crop demonstrates that the Royal family's future is in safe hands - and all the stronger for the new additions.

"I think they make a very impressive front. And they need to be - they'll be the face of the Royal family one day.

Camilla Eyres, 56, left her home in Cardiff at 3am to be at Sandringham in time to see the royals head into church.

She told The Telegraph it was the first time she had visited and decided to make the journey in memory of her mother who passed away earlier this year.

"I really wanted to come and see everyone and to support an institution of British history," she said. "I thought the family looked very well and happy,"

The youngest royals were absent - left back at the house playing with their presents as they had been last year.

The Duchess of Cambridge told the crowds Prince George, five, Princess Charlotte, four and Prince Louis (who was born in April) had received books and Lego as gifts.

One face present who had not been seen at Sandringham before was Jack Brooksbank who arrived with his new wife Princess Eugenie.

They were followed by the Earl and Countess of Wessex with their children, Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and Zara and Mike Tindall (absentees the previous year after choosing to spend Christmas in Australia).

Their presence this year capped off an impeccable display.

Additional reporting by Oscar Quine, at Sandringham