The Queen's great-granddaughter Savannah and her parents Peter and Autumn Phillips seem to be enjoying their first stay at Sandringham as a family.

The couple joined the Princess Royal, her husband Vice-Admiral Timothy Laurence and Prince Philip in walking to a church service on the Royal estate yesterday morning.

The new parents were visibly beaming as they walked with the large party to the morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church at around 11am.

Then after the service they strolled holding hands as they followed the Duke of Edinburgh, who was wearing a green coat over a grey suit, back to the Royal home to be reunited with their daughter, who is 12th in line to the throne.

The sight of the couple delighted the crowd of around 150 people who wrapped up warm to catch a glimpse of the Royal party walking to and from the church.

Royal watcher Mary Relph, of Shouldham, said: 'It was a brilliant surprise to see them walking to church and you don't get too many opportunities to see that group together.

'It looked like Peter and Autumn were really enjoying their stay in Norfolk and it was great to see them looking so happy.'

Legendary racing driver Jackie Stewart was also part of the party which arrived at the church after the Queen had arrived by car.

Following the service, led by the Bishop of Oxford Rev John Pritchard, the crowd applauded as the Queen walked to her car and was greeted by 18 young people holding flowers.

Two of the youngsters to greet the monarch, who was wearing a red coat, red hat and black boots, were Australians Sarah Dowd and Loreyn Argal, both 18.

The pair have only just arrived in Norfolk from Down Under to work at Glebe House School in Hunstanton as part of a gap year before going to University.

Miss Dowd said: 'We would never get this kind of opportunity to get so close to the Queen in Australia - we wouldn't even catch a glimpse.

'It has been an incredible and pretty amazing experience although we were a bit nervous because we haven't been told about etiquette.

'But it was great to meet the Queen. She asked us where we were from and said the flowers were very kind.'

Miss Argal added: 'We are really enjoying our time in Norfolk and the countryside is beautiful.'