Good afternoon. The duke of edinburgh has returned to sandringham in time for christmas after leaving hospital in london. Prince phillip, whos 98, spent four nights in the king edward vii hospital on the advice of his doctor. It comes as its been revealed that the queen will describe 2019 as a bumpy year in her christmas message. Heres our royal correspondent nicholas witchell. After four afterfour nights after four nights in the afterfour nights in the king edward vii hospital, we did emerged this morning and walked slowly but without assistance to the waiting vehicle. There has been no information about the reason for his stay at the hospital. In the past he has been treated there for bladder and chest infections. Whatever the nature of this latest episode, the duke has satisfied his daughters thatis duke has satisfied his daughters that is well enough to return home. The helicopter to kim from Buckingham Palace to the sandringham estate where the royal Family Gathering for christmas. In her christmas broadcast, we will talk about a past year which has felt quite bumpy. She hasnt clarified what has felt quite bumpy which will invite speculation. She has talked about reconciliation. Invite speculation. She has talked about reconciliation. The obvious conclusion is that this is a coded message from britain part might head of state, urging the country to move on. She also says in the broadcast that small steps can over come in small differences. But references to a bumper year may also be in reference to her own family, after a year which began with the duke of edinburghs Road Accident which continued with the duke and dust duchess of sussex complaining about the problems of being in the public eye and which culminated most recently about the controversies surrounding Prince Andrew, forcing him to step back from public duties. For the queen who arrived in norfolk en route to sandringham at the end of last week, there is at least the reissuance that your husband will be with over christmas. Harry and meghan will be absent. This is the Online Christmas card, a picture of them with their son archie. Nicholas is with me now. The duke is no back, with minimal fuss . Yes, he went in on friday and came out four nights later. We have no idea what he was in being treated for, the lack of information has been throughout the five days. But he is home to family and we will be delighted. Also relieved. It is good to see and what they of hospital and, for someone who is 98, he is com pletely and, for someone who is 98, he is completely unaided. He has never used a stick. He got into the car without assistance. He had a short flight without assistance. He had a short flight back up to norfolk after a cheery wave to the hospital staff. One must imagine that it was always the intention that he would leave the intention that he would leave the hospital in time to get back to sandringham for christmas. Traditionally, this was eve is the big event for the royal family. Traditionally, this was eve is the big event for the royalfamily. The abbey big inner tonight and exchange their christmas presents. It is quite a big Family Gathering, just as it is from many other families. Quite a big Family Gathering, just as it is from many otherfamilies. I will be wanting them to go up tomorrow when we go to the church. I will be looking out for Prince Andrew turns up and that is quite difficult for them. If he does not go to church as normal, with his daughter beatrice, that will be taken as an acceptance that the route back to Public Acceptance is going to be difficult. I would have thought that he probably will go to church but, of course, everyone will be watching out for that. You will be watching out for that. You will be the centre of Media Attention for all the reasons that the royal family will be most welcome too. I would not have thought that the duke of edinburgh will be attending Church Tomorrow. He did last year just out of hospital. I think you will stay in sandringham. A lot was made about the photographs on the desk of the queens speech. What you make of that . Very little. There is talk about why this is sixes why harry and meghan arent in the picture is . We have to watch the broadcast. It is not in the queen was my major to snub anyone. Especially not grandchildren. In the photographs there is the father, pa rt photographs there is the father, part of the speech talks about the Second World War when she was a part of, another one shows harry gates, one with Prince Philip and one with Prince Charles and camilla. This is talking about succession who are the most important for the continuing line. Charlotte gallagher is in sandringham for us where the queen has been in residence since friday. There will be a lot of people there tomorrow looking out for who turns up tomorrow looking out for who turns up at the church. Yes, there will be a lot of speculation about who will be going to the Church Tomorrow. We do think that Prince Andrew will be going despite speculation that he would not be going after all the news about his connection with the sex offender epstein. We do think you will be at the service tomorrow. We also think that Prince George and Princess Charlotte will go to the service for the first time. There is obviously a lot of interest in that and ina obviously a lot of interest in that and in a lot well wishers that will turn up yourall and in a lot well wishers that will turn up your all be very interested in seeing the young royals. We saw a helicopter land in the last half an hour and we believe that Prince Philip was on board after being treated in hospital in central london. The queen is at sandringham and has been used on friday and we are expecting other members of the royalfamily to are expecting other members of the royal family to turn up throughout the day. The morejunior members will arrive earlier at the most senior, such as Prince Charles and prince william, will arrive later in the day. As nick was saying, we do not expect Prince Philip to go to Church Tomorrow firstly because he has been discharged from hospital and secondly he didnt go last year. In 2017, when he retired from public life, he has spent a lot less time in the public eye. Talking to people year, they say they are expecting more than 6000 people to come tomorrow to see the royal family are going to church. Even though the roles of had a bumper year, in the words of the queen, there is still a great amount of interest in seeing the royals in person. Borisjohnson and Jeremy Corbyn have thanked nhs staff and other Public Servants who work through the holidays in their christmas messages. The Prime Minister also said the uk stood in solidarity with christians around the world who faced persecution for their beliefs. Mr corbyn said it had been a difficult year for many but christmas was a chance to reflect on hopes for a better world. Around 2000 volunteer firefighters will spend their Christmas Day tackling australias bushfires as the crisis continues. The countrys Prime Minister has pledged more support amid criticism from some unpaid workers. Nine people have died after more than 84 fires devastated homes and businesses. One of the unpaid workers from from the New South WalesRural Fire Service who will spend Christmas Day on the front line is angela burford, who spoke to us earlier. I will bejoining around 2000 other volunteers across New South Wales fighting the fires. We have about 80 bushfires burning across the state so it has been a long summerfor us so far and we are only about half way through. A number of others have put up a hand to work on Christmas Day because for us it is just another day working on these fires. It is what we do and we love what we do and we do it for the community. It is a difficultjob and we are lucky to have 70,000 volunteers across New South Wales. It is a very important bit of work to be done, particularly this week as we have a lull in the weather. We have got cooler temperatures and the winds have died down a bit. We have a chance to go in and do some very important containment work before things start to heat up again. Some of these very large fires are going to be potentially posing a risk to communities next week. We give our we have all got dayjobs and we are volunteer at our local fire station and luckily enough, where i volunteer we do not have any large fires threatening towns near us. So our truck will be travelling two and a half hours far down just west of sydney to help out on the fires there. We give up our time to train, we train throughout the year, and we go to incident calls 365 days a year, whether that be car fires or bushfires. We give up our free time to do that but we are very grateful when our employers give us time off work. Obviously, it has a huge flow on effect throughout the state and certainly for businesses as well when they lose their staff. We are lucky in that a lot of employers are supportive of us and they know how important the work we are doing is and often you will see throughout summer and particularly over christmas we are being released from work and, of course, our families so that we can go out and fight these fires. Police in new zealand say they have called off the search for the bodies of two people still missing since the white island volcano eruption earlier this month. The bodies of Hayden Bryan Marshall Inman and 17 year old Winona Jane Langford are thought to be in the water off the island. Winonas parents were also among the 19 People Killed by the eruption. Police said their decision follows extensive shoreline and substantial aerial searches. Doctors are warning of the dangers posed by small button batteries that can be found in toys, Christmas Lights and musical cards. If swallowed, the batteries can burn through a childs throat in a short period of time. The Child Accident trust says two children a year die in the uk from swallowing the batteries. Our Health CorrespondentDominic Hughes has more. Claire still remembers vividly the events of 2015. At the age of two, her daughter sophie came dangerously close to death after swallowing a button battery. It badly damaged her throat and burned a hole in her lung, leaving sophie in intensive care and needing multiple operations. If they swallow one and they leave it, it can be fatal. And if it wasnt for my Quick Response and getting up there, because within two hours it had already done damage, it is not worth thinking about, really. They are really dangerous and things escalate so quickly. This speeded up footage shows how fast a button battery can cause damage. Slices of ham represent the delicate tissues of the throat, saliva reacts with the battery to release caustic chemicals. Within two hours, the flesh is already scorched. Senior doctors say it is important that batteries in toys, lights, clothing and cards are kept safe. Because children mistake these things as sweets, keep them out of reach where they cant get to them. If they come in compartments, in toys, christmas cards, make sure they are in there, locked away if possible. Better to prevent than have to go to an a e department, but if you do have to go, our great nhs staff will be there to remove the battery. Sophie has made a good recovery and her mum knows it was a close call. And not an experience anyone else should go through. Thousands of children in care are living more than 100 miles from their family and friends in places they have never heard of thats according to a report by the childrens commissioner for england. More than 30,000 children in care are placed out of area, which is a 13 increase over five years. While some children are placed further afield for their own safety, to protect them from criminal gangs or sexual predators, many have to move away because of a shortage of local places. The increasing number of children now is really a result of the increasing number of teenagers coming into care. Theyre less likely to go into foster care, more likely to go into childrens homes. The majority of childrens homes are in areas of the country where accommodation is cheaper lincolnshire, the north west, kent. This means they are sent to these places and often moved around. Children tell me not only do they feel they do not know where they are on the map, they do not know how long they will be there, they dont have access to school properly and actually they feel it is some kind of punishment. This is, you know, a crucial time of growing up, a crucial time where they need school, they need friendships and they need to be able to plan their future. The headlines on bbc news the duke of edinburgh has left hospital in time to spend christmas with the queen at sandringham. The queen will use her Christmas Day message to say the past year has been quite bumpy, adding that small steps can heal divisions. Thousands of volunteer Fire Fighters will spend Christmas Day battling wildfires that are still ravaging australia. Sport and for a full round up, from the bbc sport centre. Good afternoon. The chelsea manager Frank Lampard says its disappoining the spurs bossjose mourinho questioned antonio rudigers integrity regarding the incident that saw hung min son sent off for violent conduct. Rudiger was subsequently targeted with alleged racist abuse during Sundays Premier League match. I think with tony in this incident, when he is having to post after the game about something that we know is a huge deal, i think the question is integrity in that time is disappointing. Forsure. Integrity in that time is disappointing. For sure. Because integrity in that time is disappointing. Forsure. Becausei think pretty universally, certainly what i heard in the tom terry and all the post match reflection, was that it was a red card. I said after the game, it wasnt a brutal red ca rd the game, it wasnt a brutal red card but it was an instinctive one that warrants a red card. Alex Oxlade Chamberlain has sustained ankle ligament damage and will miss liverpools games against leicester and wolves between christmas and new year. The england midfielder picked up the injury in qatar during the second half of his sides one nil win over flamengo in the Club World Cup final on saturday. Klopp says the club will make a further assessment before determining a return date. You have three ligaments on the outside of the ankle, one of them is damaged. We now have to see how we can fix that. I do not know exactly, but it is years ago when i had a similar injury. It can take a while 01 can similar injury. It can take a while or can be quick we have to see. No chance for thursday, no chance for this year. We have to see how quickly it can settle. The former newcastle and Crystal Palace manager alan pardew has been appointed as the new head coach of dutch side den haag. Pardew has signed a deal until the end of the season and will have chris powell as his assistant. Den haag are currently second bottom in the dutch league. The newjob for powell will not effect his role as a coach with the fa. The england cricket captainjoe root says he doesnt know if ben stokes will be available for the first test against south africa on boxing day, stokes father ged has been taken seriously ill stokes missed training today to be with him by his bedside. The ecb say that ged was taken to hospital in johannesburg yesterday where hes in a critical condition. Adam mountford is there for us. Ged was admitted to hospital here in johannesburg yesterday after suffering what was described as a serious illness. He remains in the critical condition. Ged is 64 and was a Rugby League Player representing new zealand in the 80s. Ben stokes wants to be by his fathers bedside. Three players have already missed warm up games due to flu like symptoms. Some other england team news, chris woakes is suffering from illness, stuart at broad and jofra archer and jack leech have also been laid low for a couple of days. But James Anderson is, fitness permitting, going to play in his 150th test. He missed most of the ashes with a calf problem. And finally, diving in football has been an ongoing issue for some years now but for two teams in tanzania, they were left with no choice. Players were forced to drop to the ground when a swarm of bees invaded the pitch. It led to the match being stopped briefly for a few moments, as players and fans tried to find cover the linesman seems to be enjoying himself, having a little lie down before heading off again. Thats all the sport for now. Ill have more for you in the next hour. More than a million staff will go to work on Christmas Day, often without extra pay, according to a new study. The number of employees on duty tomorrow has increased by 22,000 since 2016 according to the tuc union. Care workers, nurses and chefs account for the biggest share of those who will b