Prince Harry has revealed how fiancee Meghan Markle's first Christmas at Sandringham with the royal family went, saying it was like she was with the family "she's never had".

The couple, who announced their engagement just last month, joined Harry's family for a carol service at St Mary Magdalene Church at the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk on Christmas Day. Markle then joined the royal family greeting well-wishers, and was seen giving her first public curtsy to the Queen.

It is thought that, according to tradition, the family would have then returned home together for a turkey lunch before watching the Queen's speech.

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday morning (27 December), when Harry was guest editor, he revealed that Markle, 36, "really enjoyed" spending Christmas with his family - despite the break from tradition which would usually mean only married partners join the royals for the annual carol service and lunch.

Harry said: "It was fantastic. She really enjoyed it. The family loved having her there. There is always that family part of Christmas and there's that work element as well.

"And I think together we had an amazing time staying with my brother and sister-in-law. We were running around with the kids and Christmas was fantastic.

"As I said we are really looking forward to the New Year and looking forward to 2018 because I'm determined to make sure that the pendulum is going to swing and 2018 is going to be a fantastic year."

He also described his family as "one of the biggest" he knows and "complex", adding that Meghan "has done an absolutely amazing job, just getting in there and it's the family, I suppose, that she's never had".

royal christmas
Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on 25 December 2017 in King's Lynn, England. Chris Jackson/Getty Images