Kate Middleton and Prince William Make Christmas Debut With New Royal Titles

This Christmas was a historic day for the royal family, which marked their first holiday without Queen Elizabeth II. This meant they made their Christmas debuts with their new titles. Prince William and Kate Middleton marked their first holiday as the Prince and Princess of Wales.

William, Kate, and their three children – Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4 – joined King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and other members of the royal family at the Church of St. Mary Magdeline in Norfolk. This was Prince Louis' first time attending the holiday service, notes PEOPLE. Prince George, who is now second in the line of succession to the British throne, and Princess Charlotte made their debuts in 2019.

Kate was dressed in a dark green coat with a matching hat, while Charlotte wore a dark red dress that was perfect for the Christmas holiday. William and his sons all wore matching blue suits, with Louis wearing a navy coat over his shorts.

This was a return to the traditional royal outing on Christmas, as the past two years had been hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. On Christmas Eve, they exchanged their gifts and they plan to gather at Sandringham for lunch after church. They also watched King Charles' first Christmas address together. Kate also started a new Christmas tradition on Dec. 15, when she hosted her second annual Christmas carol concert at Westminster.

During his first Christmas speech as monarch, King Charles focused on the U.K.'s cost of living crisis, recognizing the "great anxiety and hardship" of those struggling to pay their bills and support their families. The broadcast included images of food banks and the homeless during the king's speech, filmed at St. George's Chapel in Windsor, reports BBC News. The broadcast only mentioned "working royals," so Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were not mentioned. Prince Andrew was also not referenced. King Charles also delivered the speech standing up, while his mother had previously done it behind a desk.

"Christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones. We feel their absence at every familiar turn of the season and remember them in each cherished tradition," the king said. "In the much-loved carol 'O Little Town Of Bethlehem,' we sing of how 'in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.' My mother's belief in the power of that light was an essential part of her faith in God, but also her faith in people and it is one which I share with my whole heart. It is a belief in the extraordinary ability of each person to touch, with goodness and compassion, the lives of others, and to shine a light in the world around them. This is the essence of our community and the very foundation of our society."