The Royal Family’s Christmas Day service at Sandringham may be missing its traditional choral this year, as the estate’s church choir has gone on strike.

This came after Rev Paul Williams, newly appointed vicar of Sandringham and domestic chaplain to the King, initiated an independent review of the 25-member volunteer choir.

The review, conducted by choral director Tansy Castledine, delivered an assessment, stating that choir members had “no knowledge of music or singing technique.” It recommended raising performance standards in light of the choir’s prestigious royal audience.

The findings have sparked outrage among choir members, many of whom have served the church for decades. In protest, they have withdrawn their services just weeks before the Christmas celebration, which is traditionally attended by senior royals and broadcast to the nation.

Rev Williams acknowledged the tensions, saying there were “mixed emotions” surrounding the departure of the long-serving director of music, whose exit appears to have deepened the rift. 

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