The combination of cheekiness with an easy grace ensured that the young Princes and Princess at the heart of the royal family were the focus of attention during their traditional Christmas walk to church.
Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, ten, and Prince Louis, seven, reminded supporters gathered outside St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate of the family's capacity for joy at the end of a tumultuous year.
Set against a brilliant blue sky, the family procession, led by the King and Queen, strode purposefully on the quarter-mile journey to the 11am service.
Public confidence
It was on the journey back that the Wales children showed their burgeoning independence, separating from their parents for the first time to offer hugs, shake hands and greet the public under William and Kate's watchful gaze.
Prince Louis showed his impish side as he spotted one spectator holding a red Lindt Lindor milk chocolate ball almost the size of his head. The Prince of Wales, wearing a Fair Isle patterned scarf, exclaimed "What is that?" as he received the ball and was told that it was meant for Louis.
© AFP via Getty ImagesThe younger prince did not hesitate. With a sudden grab and a twisting of his body worthy of a rugby scrum-half, a grinning Louis wrestled the chocolate from his father and hugged it to his body.
"Yeah, Louis, I thought that might happen," William said, ruffling his youngest son's hair.
A member of the public standing nearby told HELLO!: "Louis snatched it right out of William's hands. He did a little twirl and hugged it. He didn't seem to want to move on. He didn't want to let that one go."
Sibling support
Beyond the immediate joy of receiving gifts, the walk allowed the children to practise what their parents are teaching them about how to show a personal touch with members of the public.
In one telling moment, the Wales family came together while shaking hands with an excited fan who told George that "Granny Diana" would be very proud of him. George maintained a formal distance while Charlotte stepped up beside him to touch his lower back, a gesture of support in an unfamiliar situation.
© Tom Maddick / SWNSGeorge made an impression on the crowd as he stepped forward to shake people's hands and pause for photos, wishing bystanders a merry Christmas and smiling into the lens of a camera phone. The boy destined to be king thanked the public for their gifts of chocolates and cuddly toys.
"He displayed a quiet confidence and maturity," one bystander said. "It's crazy to think that he'll be a teenager when he does this next year."
Charming Princess Charlotte
It was Charlotte who seemed most at ease. The princess embraced two spectators and stood alongside others so that they could take a selfie together.
© Alamy Live News.One fan described her as having star quality. "I was so impressed by how well-mannered and how charming they were, how gracefully they carried themselves. They do it with such ease, especially Charlotte. She's trailing behind her brothers, off doing her own thing, taking selfies."
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