Royal family keen to signal united front attending Sunday service at church

The Royal Family have shown they are keen to signal a "relaxed unity" by arriving at a Balmoral church service together, a leading body language expert has told the Mirror.

A smiling King Charles III and Queen Camilla were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children this afternoon as they attended a Sunday service at Crathie Kirk, a church located near the royal estate in Aberdeenshire.

William was seen driving his young family to the 130-year-old church, while Kate sat in the passenger seat sporting a striking new hair colour. Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte were spotted behind the pair, with 10-year-old Charlotte appearing in a buoyant mood as the family made their way into the church.

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Princess Anne and Prince Edward were also in attendance.

Now, in her analysis of their joint appearance at the church, body language expert Judi James has said that the royals seemed "relaxed" in the presence of each other and the cameras, with the King especially grateful for the show of unity from some of his closest family.

She told the Mirror: "Being photographed in the car at a family event is not the royals' favourite pastime. and they can often suggest via their body language that it is something of an ordeal or an intrusion.

"But here the entire top tier seem to be keen to signal a form of relaxed unity, employing smiles and facial expressions that make this look like a positive family outing, and devoid of the more ‘set’ royal smiles that might suggest formality.

"Charles seems to have wound his window down to be more visible here and his occasionally ’chuckling’ smile suggests an appreciation of having some of his closest family members around."

It comes as royal watchers reacted to Princess Kate's surprise new hair colour, with the 43-year-old debuting a blonder-than-usual look as she ventured into the church.

Despite claims the Princess of Wales - technically known of Duchess of Rothesay on visits north of the border - had her hair professionally lightened, insiders say her brunette locks had simply caught the sun over the course of the summer.

A source told the Mirror: "Every summer the Princess of Wales' hair appears lighter because of the sun."

The Royal Family have spent their summers at the Balmoral estate for the best part of two centuries, and regularly go to church services at Crathie Kirk as part of the annual tradition.

Queen Elizabeth II also regularly attended services at the church, which was established in 1895 after Queen Victoria laid the first foundation stone for the building in 1893.