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Royal News

King Charles leads Royal Family as they gather in Windsor for Easter Sunday service

King Charles waves to the crowds at Windsor on Easter Sunda

King Charles was given a warm welcome by the Royal Family as they headed to church on Easter Sunday.

The King and Queen arrived at St. George’s Chapel by car where the rest of the family was waiting for them.

The Prince and Princess of Wales had led the royal party who walked to the doors of St. George’s. Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10 and Prince Louis, 7, were with them.

The Prince and Princess of Wales with their children
The Prince and Princess of Wales walked to church on Easter morning
(Royal Family you Tube Channel/ fair use)

The Princess Royal and her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, followed William and Kate to the church while Princess Anne’s soon to be daughter in law, Harriet Sperling, made her first appearance at a royal Easter celebration.

She strolled down to the chapel with her fiance, Peter Phillips, and his two daughters, Savannah and Isla. The couple announced their wedding date earlier this week. The big royal wedding of the summer takes place in Kemble near Cirencester on June 6.

Harriet Sperling in a blue dress, greets a clergyman at WIndsor
Harriet Sperling joined the Royal Family at Easter
(Royal Family you Tube Channel/ fair use)

Princess Anne looked particularly supportive of her nephew, James, Earl of Wessex who came to church with his father, the Duke of Edinburgh. As the royals lined up to greet the clergy waiting for them, James appeared to take a step back to let his aunt go in front of him but she put a reassuring hand on his arm to indicate he should go first.

As expected, there was no sign of Princess Beatrice or Princess Eugenie who had both already made clear they would be staying away from the Royal celebrations at Easter. Earlier this year, their father, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, was arrested by officers investigating allegations of misconduct in public office. He was released 11 hours later under investigation. It’s understood that the former prince is spending Easter at his new home on the Sandringham estate.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were driven to St. George’s Chapel where the Royal Family greeted them. The King was clearly delighted to see them and blew a kiss to William, Kate and their children. He also appeared to share a joke with Prince William as they met at the door of St. George’s Chapel but it was another prince who got the biggest reaction from King Charles.

Queen Camilla carries a bouquet of spring flowers on Easter Sunday
There were flowers for Queen Camilla at the end of the Easter Sunday service
(Royal Family you Tube Channel/ fair use)

As he saw his grandson, Prince Louis, The King broke into a huge smile and patted the seven year old on the shoulder. The two are known to have a very close bond with Louis famously asking to sit on his grandfather’s lap at the concert given to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

The King was also joined by one of his favourite cousins. Lady Sarah Chatto, daughter of Princess Margaret, joined the royal party with her husband, Daniel.

Following the service, Queen Camilla was presented with a bouquet of bright spring flowers before she joined The King for a chat with some of the wellwishers who had gathered to see them.

The Queen greeted them with a ‘Happy Easter’ before she and King Charles spent several minutes chatting to them. Earlier this week, they enjoyed a walkabout at St. Asaph where they had been greeted by crowds following the traditional Maundy Thursday service.

The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children waited to wave off the royal car before walking back to the castle where the Royal Family will continue their Easter celebrations.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Editor in Chief at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.