Coronavirus: Cambridges inadvertently breach rule of six with night-time walk in Norfolk
Norfolk is currently in Tier 2, which means groups are limited to six people and to meeting outside.
Tuesday 22 December 2020 16:49, UK
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children have been pictured inadvertently breaching the rule of six during a wider family walk in Norfolk.
Prince William and Kate, along with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, were spotted walking on the Queen's Sandringham Estate on Sunday evening - at one point walking at a distance with the Earl of Wessex, his wife Countess Sophie, and their two children.
The group of nine, who arrived separately in their two families, were said to be seen "mingling" at several points on the trail, according to a member of the public who captured the pictures.
Follow live COVID updates from the UK and across the world
Norfolk is currently under Tier 2 coronavirus measures, meaning meetings outside are limited to groups of six.
One of the photos, published in the Daily Mail, shows William leading the group with Prince Louis on his shoulders.
Nearby is Prince George and Princess Charlotte, while Kate walks behind. Sophie and her son Viscount Severn are pictured alongside.
Lady Louise is seen trailing her mother, while Prince Edward is at the back.
The woodland walk was part of a public event called Luminate, which the estate's website describes as a "spectacular, illuminated trail, full of wonder and intrigue, to delight and enthral your senses".
William and Kate are thought to have travelled to the event from Amner Hall, the family's country home situated close to Sandringham.
It is believed they moved to the residence from London at the start of the school holidays.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex, meanwhile, live in Bagshot Park in Surrey - an area that has been put into Tier 4 restrictions.
The family are said to have left when the area was still in Tier 2.
In response to the pictures, a source at Sandringham said: "The two families were given separate consecutive slots to visit the trail just before it opened to the general public.
"They arrived and departed in their own family groups.
"As anyone with young children will know, there were moments on the 90-minute walk where it was difficult to keep the two family groups apart, particularly at bottlenecks on the trail."