Kate Middleton news: Duchess of Cambridge attends Sunday service on Sandringham with Prince William

Prince William and Kate Middleton attend the Christmas Day church service at St. Mary Magdalene ChurchReuters

Kate Middleton and Prince William stepped out last weekend to join members of the royal family for Sunday service at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham Estate.

In photos published by The Daily Mail, the Duchess was seen greeting a crowd of well-wishers as she and her husband of four years made their way to the service. She was also given a bouquet of flowers by a person at the front of the crowd. Prince Charles, 67, and the Queen, 89, were also seen making their way to the church. Prince Harry, Prince Philip, and Princess Anne were also there.

For the church service, the Duchess wore a tweed Michael Kors Collection suit and accessorized with a black hat and black boots. Meanwhile, the Duke wore a grey coat and carried an umbrella on the way to the church.

Security was tight for the outing, which is not considered as a public appearance by the royals. According to the Telegraph, officers carrying bodyscanners even stopped to check a little girl and a baby in a pram, and all arrivals were subject to extensive searches.

A spokesman for the Queen told the Telegraph, "This was a private attendance. The Queen continues to worship over the festive period."

The website reports that fewer people came out to see the royals last Sunday compared to the crowd who turned up at the grounds on Christmas Day, which is believed to be composed of at least 1,000 well-wishers.

For Christmas Day, the Duke and Duchess also got together with the rest of the royal family for the annual Christmas service at St. Mary Magdalene Church. The couple joined about thirty members of the family, including Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, as they walked to the church. The Duke and Duchess' children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were not present in either church service and it is expected that they won't be attending any service until they are much older.