Daughters of King Charles' brother Andrew join royals for Christmas service

Britain's Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie attended the royal family's traditional Christmas Day church service on Thursday, while their father Andrew, recently stripped of his titles over ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was absent.

King Charles and Queen Camilla led senior royals to a church in Sandringham in eastern England, about 110 miles (175 km) northeast of London, greeting well-wishers in crisp winter weather.

Charles and Camilla walked ahead while the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, and their three children, followed.

Other family members included Princess Anne and her husband Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh with their children, as well as the king's niece Zara and her husband Mike Tindall.

Now known only as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, the king's younger brother has faced mounting pressure over his links to Epstein.

In October, Charles stripped him of all titles, including Duke of York and prince, and ordered him to vacate his Windsor home and move to private accommodation on the Sandringham estate, which has been the royal family's traditional venue for their Christmas Day service since 1988.

Buckingham Palace had said the steps taken against Andrew were necessary to protect the monarchy's reputation, adding that the king's thoughts and sympathies were with victims of abuse.

Andrew has denied allegations that he sexually abused Virginia Giuffre, an American woman who said she was trafficked by the late financier Epstein and forced to have sex with Andrew as a teenager - a claim Andrew settled in a U.S. civil lawsuit in 2022 without admitting liability.

The attendance of his daughters Beatrice, 37, and Eugenie, 35, underscores their continuing presence at family events despite the controversy surrounding their father.

The royals are expected to return to Sandringham House for lunch before the king's televised Christmas message later in the day.

-Sam Tabahriti/Reuters