King will attend Easter service at Windsor, Buckingham Palace confirms

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the King will attend the traditional Easter Matins church service in Windsor on Sunday.

Charles, accompanied by the Queen, will lead members of the Royal family at the traditional service at St George’s Chapel.

The 75-year-old King has stepped back from public duties on medical advice as he undergoes cancer treatment in order to avoid the risks associated with large crowds.

The royal turnout on Easter Sunday will therefore be considerably smaller than usual, with only a handful of royals in attendance in order to minimise his contact with others, in an outing that has been described as “Easter Lite”.

The Palace said: “Their Majesties the King and Queen, accompanied by other members of the Royal family, will attend the Easter Matins Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Easter Sunday.”

The outing will be the King’s most significant appearance since he was diagnosed with cancer early last month.

Since then, he has been determined to maintain a public profile, reassuring the nation that his hand remains on the tiller and that he continues with his state duties.

As such, he has also recorded an audio message that will be played at the Royal Maundy Thursday service at Worcester Cathedral this week, when he will be represented by the Queen.

Camilla, 76, will distribute Maundy money on behalf of her husband, taking on the ancient custom for the first time. The King is unable to attend because of the large numbers that will be at the service.

Kensington Palace has confirmed that the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children will not be there. The Princess revealed on Friday that she was having treatment for cancer.

Her video message was released just as Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, broke up from school. 

The family have now retreated from the public eye for the school holidays as the Prince and Princess seek to protect their children from the media coverage surrounding her diagnosis.

In recent years, the Easter Matins service has seen almost as big a royal turnout as the traditional Christmas Day outing, with most senior royals photographed strolling through the grounds of Windsor Castle with various children in tow.

Last year, Prince Louis, then four, captured the headlines as he joined his family at church for the first time, dressed smartly in a shirt and tie and clasping his mother’s hand.

The occasion marked one of the first large public gatherings of the Royal family since the death of Elizabeth II in September 2022.

After Easter, the King and Queen will step back from their duties as they go away for their annual Easter break.

On Tuesday, the King hosted a group of influential faith leaders at Buckingham Palace as he continues to help different religions work together.

The monarch chatted with the group around a large antique table in the Palace’s Billiard Room.

He was pictured being driven from Windsor to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday in the state Bentley. Pen in hand, he appeared to be making notes ahead of the interfaith meeting.

Inside, he greeted Dame Martina Milburn before sitting alongside Vijaya Nath, a leadership coach.

The meeting was for alumni of a two-day leadership programme held at Windsor Castle in February, which convened representatives of faiths including the Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities to “explore the complex challenges troubling our nation”.

On Tuesday, the King joined a selection of participants for an update about the forum and the ideas discussed to promote community harmony and understanding. A follow-up session will take place later this year.