Prince Philip attends New Year church service His appearance at church was deemed a clear signal that he was in rude health and ready to take on the challenges of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year. After the service, he exchanged a few brief greetings with the public before taking the 400-metre walk back to the house alone. The Queen, who gave a reading during the 45-minute service, collected flowers from a group of children while the Earl and Countess of Wessex chatted to the crowd. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who joined the family at Sandringham for Christmas, were not present, having reportedly chosen to spend their first New Year as husband and wife at the Duchess's family home in Bucklebury, Berkshire. The Duchess's sister, Pippa Middleton, was said to have thrown a party for which she hired a tepee-style "kata" tent more commonly used in Lapland. The so-called "canvas palace," pitched in Michael and Carole Middleton's garden, included a dance floor, lighting and seating for more than 100 people. The newly-wed Duke and Duchess were spotted laughing and joking together in the local village earlier in the day, according to reports. A St James's Palace spokesman declined to comment on the couple's movements during the bank holiday weekend. Prince Harry was also absent from the New Year celebrations at Sandringham, having travelled to the Swiss ski resort of Verbier with friends. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall spent the New Year weekend at Birkhall, their private residence on the Queen's Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire, as they do every year.