Here's Why Prince George and Princess Charlotte Didn't Attend Church With the Royal Family

After we were finished bursting with excitement at the fact that rumors of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle's feud have officially been squashed after seeing pictures of them together on Christmas morning, we noticed something odd about the photos: Three very important (and very adorable) members of the royal family were missing. So, why weren't Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis at the Christmas church service with their parents?

The answer is more or less an expected one: They're just too young. George is 5 and Charlotte is 3 (and Prince Louis is only 8 months old), and junior royals don't attend family services until they're older—Prince Harry, in fact, wasn't seen at his first Christmas service until he was 7. Although Prince George was, however, photographed attending a Christmas church service with Kate Middleton's family in Berkshire in 2016, but this year at the royal Christmas, it just seems like he decided to stay home with his siblings.

Also absent from the royal event on the morning of the 25th? Prince Philip, who was said to be relaxing at home, and Camilla Parker Bowles, who is reportedly recovering from some sort of bug.

While the kids didn't make it to church, there are still plenty of other royal Christmas traditions they'll likely get to enjoy in honor of the holiday. They attended the Queen's Christmas lunch with the rest of their family earlier this week, and will no doubt be feasting on some Christmas stew once presents have been unwrapped. "They’re getting excited for Christmas time because they’ve started all their Christmas songs, and Christmas trees are going up," Kate Middleton said during a recent appearance. "It was really sweet."

The best part? Next year, these three little royals will have a new little cousin to celebrate the holiday with.

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