Quick regal getaway 
on second church visit

The Queen waved to the waiting crowd after attending the service at St Mary Magdalene Church yesterday, which followed the Christmas Day visit which saw around 5,000 members of the public watch on.

The Duke of Edinburgh and the Princess Royal led the way from the main house on foot, with Prince Charles and Prince Edward walking behind.

The Queen travelled alone by car. She left after the service in her maroon Bentley, dispensing with the tradition of collecting flowers from a line of children.

Crowd members were told the large number of children who had met the Queen on Christmas Day had made her late for lunch with her family, so they were instead asked to give flowers to Princess Anne on this occasion.

Numbers swelled for the Christmas Day service which saw the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and a heavily pregnant Zara Phillips attend, with so many youngsters attending that Kate lent the Queen a hand by collecting flowers from a second line.

It was led by the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Rev Graham James.

Prayers were said for people living in Syria, those serving in Afghanistan and the family of Captain Richard Holloway, the Royal Engineer killed in action two days before Christmas, as well as those who suffered the effects of severe weather over the festive period.