King Charles and Queen Camilla brave icy temperatures as they drive to church service at Crathie Kirk

The King and Queen appeared in high spirits as they arrived at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral this morning to attend a Sunday service.

Travelling in a green Range Rover, Charles, 76, and Camilla, 77, smiled as they made their way through the snowy roads close to their Scottish estate.

Wearing a tweed jacket, the King looked relaxed as a driver took the wheel, navigating him through the streets of Crathie on a cold winter’s day.

Camilla, who sat in the front seat, smiled in her stylish black coat and a matching fur-lined hat.

The royal’s close friend and one of her six royal companions, Lady Sarah Keswick, joined the couple and sat next to the King.

Dressed in a black coat, red scarf, and beret hat, Lady Sarah appeared cheerful as she travelled alongside Charles in the back of the vehicle.

She is the daughter of former Conservative MP Simon Ramsay, the 16th Earl of Dalhousie, and was married to the late Sir John Chippendale ‘Chips’ Lindley Keswick, who died aged 84 in April 2024.

From 2013 until his retirement in 2020, Chips – who shared Camilla’s passion for horse racing – was chairman of Arsenal Football Club.

King Charles, Queen Camilla, and Lady Sarah Keswick took to Crathie Kirk near Balmoral this morning to attend a Sunday service

Chips and Camilla jointly owned And Reach For The Moon, one of the horses bred by Queen Elizabeth.

The couple have shared a close bond with Camilla – and King Charles – down the decades.

For instance, it was at Sarah’s 50th birthday party, held at the Ritz in 1995, that the then Prince of Wales first appeared in public with Camilla, shortly after her divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles.

It comes after the King and Queen faced the worst of the Norfolk weather, as they headed to the Sunday church service at Sandringham last Sunday.

Both Charles, 76, and Camilla, 77, were armed with umbrellas as they made the short journey across the royal estate to St Mary Magdalene Church.

Sporting the beige woolen overcoat that he’s famously owned for decades, the monarch kept warm and dry as he braved the Arctic temperatures that are currently sweeping across the UK.

Charles and Lady Sarah Keswick, one of Camilla’s six royal companions, looked cheerful as they made the journey

Camilla put on a stylish display in a black coat, patterned scarf, and fur-lined hat for the occasion

The royals travelled in Scotland’s snowy conditions to attend the Sunday Church service at Crathie Kirk

77-year-old Camilla smiled as she arrived at the Church service near Balmoral in a green Range Rover

The King, who will continue treatment for an undisclosed cancer this year, donned a tweed coat for the occasion

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla donned an elegant chocolate brown dress coat with long brown boots and a fur-brimmed hat for the Sunday morning church visit – the couple’s first of 2025.

She also sheltered from the icy rain with an umbrella she’s frequently seen using, a transparent, silver handled dome brolly thought to be from Selfridges.

In spite of the leaden skies above, the monarch and Queen Camilla looked in good spirits as they were greeted by members of the church’s clergy, including the rector Revd Canon Dr Paul Williams.

However, the royal couple did appear to make a swift entrance into the service in a bid to outwit the freezing temperatures.

The family attended a Christmas Day service at the same church, where they were greeted by crowds of well-wishers.

Alongside the King and Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales were also in attendance at Sandringham over the holidays.

The Princess of Wales was seen walking around with her husband Prince William and their children, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte.

Other members of the family, including Zara Tindall, Lady Louise and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, also spent the holiday season in North Norfolk. 

77-year-old Queen Camilla was all smiles as she left the Sunday service at Crathie Church via car

Pictured: King Charles III leaving Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral, after Sunday church service today

Camilla smiled as she left the service alongside her husband, King Charles, and close friend, Lady Sarah Keswick

Pictured: Queen Camilla leaving Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral, after attending a Sunday Church service

The respite in Sandringham was likely much needed, with Queen Camilla recovering from a bout of pneumonia that saw her pare down public duties in the run up to the festive season.

And the King’s battle with an undisclosed form of cancer, also continues.

It was revealed that Charles will continue to need treatment in 2025.

A Buckingham Palace source has said the 76-year-old’s health is still being ‘managed’ but is ‘moving in a positive direction’.

His Majesty intends to return to a full programme of public duties in 2025.

This will include ‘exciting’ UK and international visits in the first half of the year, an insider said.

‘His treatment has been moving in a positive direction, as a managed condition the treatment cycle will continue into the new year’, the Palace source said.