King Charles appears cheerful as he steps out for the first time since leaving hospital to attend Sunday service with Queen Camilla at Sandringham

King Charles beamed and waved as he walked to Mary Magdalene Church for Sunday service this morning.

The 74-year-old monarch looked excitedly ahead of the church service at Sandringham Estate Chapel after a short hospital stay last week for treatment for an enlarged prostate.

Stepping out for the first time since greeting fans outside the London Clinic after being discharged on Monday, the Monarch donned his signature camel coat and carried an umbrella.

He looked fit as he returned to Sunday service for the first time in weeks.

Charles was flanked by Queen Camilla, 76, who looked stylish in a wide-brimmed fur hat, navy blue coat and light blue scarf.

A group of about twenty supporters had gathered to wish the 75-year-old king good luck on his visit to the 18th century church.

But they were disappointed to find the gates to the paddock area outside the church were locked, meaning they could not reach the cordoned off path where spectators are normally allowed to stand.

It meant that they had to view the king from a distance of about 150 meters.

Today is King Charles' first Sunday service in three weeks; he was still being monitored at the London Clinic last Sunday and the week before he chose to rest ahead of the routine procedure.

The 74-year-old monarch waved to his well-wishers as he strolled through the Norfolk estate and appeared in good spirits after his hospital stay

Charles and Camilla were greeted outside the church by the rector of Sandringham, Canon Paul Williams, who shook his hand warmly and gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

The rector exchanged a few words with the king and Charles replied with a smile on his face, giving the impression that everything was fine.

Part-time engineering firm employee Kay Miller from Witchford, Cambridgeshire, who saw Charles walking to church today, said: 'He looked fine.

“I saw him going to church earlier in January when we were able to stand along the path as he walked by, and he looks exactly the same now.

'I came today on the unlikely chance that we would see him. It looks like he's back to his old self, and it's great to see him back in the air. It certainly seems like he's better.”

Kay's friend David Patterson, from Haddenham, Cambridgeshire, added: 'It's great he walked to church. He's not a young man, but it shows he's fit.”

Royal fan Annabel Young, 27, from Ipswich, Suffolk, who was with her three-year-old son Jasper Davies-Young, said: 'It was so nice to see him back in his old routine.

“It's just a shame we couldn't get through the closed gates and had to make do with seeing him from afar.”

After the service, the King and Queen were escorted out of the church by the rector and his assistant after the hour-long service.

The royal couple chatted with the two white-clad clergy for a few seconds before saying their goodbyes and walking back to Sandringham House for lunch.

The king turned and admired an array of snowdrops before entering through a gate into the private grounds of his home on his 20,000-acre Norfolk estate.

It comes after Queen Camilla stepped up her royal duties, while King Charles took some recovery time following his procedure.

She has had a busy week, carrying out various royal engagements while her husband recovered at home after leaving the London Clinic, where the Princess of Wales also recovered.

Mother-of-three Kate, 41, needs time to recover from a planned abdominal operation earlier this month and is not expected to return to her royal duties until after Easter.

As a result, Prince William also postponed his royal duties for a short time to be there for Kate and their three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five.

With three working royals out of action, Queen Camilla has led the royal charge as the highest-ranking royal currently conducting orders.