Royals attend Windsor Easter Sunday service
Royals attend Windsor Easter Sunday service
On Sunday, King Charles and Queen Camilla participated in a church service at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. The event was attended by several other royal figures, including Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, who had not joined the customary gathering for the past two years. Their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, were absent, as were Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his former spouse Sarah Ferguson, who attended last year’s service. The princesses have opted for different arrangements this Easter.
As the royal family entered the chapel, cheers were raised by spectators who watched from behind barriers. Prince William and Catherine guided their children—Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7—into the service. Princess Charlotte waved to the crowd as they moved through the chapel doors. The Wales family skipped last year’s event to enjoy a holiday in Norfolk and missed the previous year’s due to Catherine’s recent cancer diagnosis.
Princess Anne joined the service alongside her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, and Prince Edward, accompanied by his family. The King and Queen arrived last, drawing applause from a passerby who shouted, “God bless the King.” After the service, the royal couple engaged with the public, offering Easter greetings. When asked about the event, the Queen described it as “good.”
Unlike formal state duties, the Easter service is regarded as a private family tradition. The King did not deliver an Easter message this year. Earlier, on Thursday, he and Queen Camilla had taken part in the traditional Maundy service in Denbighshire, Wales, which honors the Last Supper and emphasizes humility and service. During the ceremony, the King presented gifts to 77 men and 77 women from the UK, recognizing their contributions to Christian communities.
Royal family under scrutiny
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the King’s son, has been stripped of his royal title and is currently under investigation for alleged misconduct in public office. He was arrested on suspicion of such actions and has relocated to Sandringham, Norfolk. The family faces ongoing questions related to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, with allegations of ties to the US sex offender. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing linked to his associations with Epstein.
Archbishop’s Easter message
Meanwhile, Dame Sarah Mullally, the newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, delivered her first Easter sermon as head of the Church of England. In her address, she urged an end to “violence and destruction” in the Middle East. Mullally prayed “with renewed urgency” for peace to a congregation at Canterbury Cathedral, as the US-Israel conflict with Iran entered its sixth week.
