In a festive red coat, Queen Elizabeth II led the royal family to a traditional Christmas Day church service on Friday, but young Prince George and his baby sister Princess Charlotte stayed home amid the sprinkles of rain.

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla were among the royals attending the service at St. Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate as some 1,000 well-wishers marked the festivities, which included the national anthem and several hymns.

Prince William and his wife Kate came as well, but they left George and Charlotte at home. Kate wore a green coat and hat and chatted with brother-in-law Prince Harry.

The queen used her Christmas broadcast on Friday afternoon to emphasize that light can triumph over darkness after a difficult year.

The queen noted there have been "moments of darkness" in the last year, which has been marked by extremist attacks and a migrant crisis that has overwhelmed Europe, but cited the Bible as offering solace.

"The Gospel of John contains a verse of great hope, often read at Christmas carol services: 'The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it'," the queen said.

The prerecorded speech - a long-standing Christmas tradition - was broadcast on radio and television in Britain and in many parts of the British Commonwealth on Christmas Day. It will also be posted on the royal YouTube channel.

The 89-year-old queen wrote the brief speech herself, often reflecting on her own personal beliefs and stressing the importance of family.

The queen, her husband Prince Philip and senior members of the royal family plan to spend most of the day at her sprawling Sandringham estate in Norfolk, 175 kilometers north of London.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II sits at a desk in the 18th Century Room on Friday at Buckingham Palace, in London. John Stillwell / Reuters