How the Royal Family’s Easter will be very different this year: From a ‘smaller than usual’ guest list for the sake of King Charles to Kate’s absence amid her cancer battle

Most families have firm traditions that they mark each year – and the British Royal Family is no different.

One of the most important occasions of The Firm’s social calendar is Easter, which the late Queen Elizabeth II was said to love.

The Royal Family usually celebrate the holiday at Windsor Castle, attending a church service in St George’s Chapel on the Sunday before enjoying a lunch with one another. 

However this year, Easter will be very different for the royals following King Charles and the Princess of Wales’ shock cancer diagnoses.

So instead of a line-up of glamorous royals such as Zara and Mike Tindall, Kate and Prince William with their children, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, the Duchess of Edinburgh and Lady Sarah Chatto, the occasion will be ‘smaller than usual’.

The King – making his most significant public appearance since he was diagnosed with cancer – will attend the church service on Easter Sunday alongside Queen Camilla, 76, and other members of the royal family.

But the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will not be present at the annual Easter Mattins Service.

The family are spending the Easter holidays together as they adjust to Kate’s cancer diagnosis.

Here, FEMAIL reveal which royals will no doubt be attending the annual occasion at Windsor Castle – and the ones more than likely staying away… 

THE KING AND QUEEN  

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend this weekend’s Easter Sunday service in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace confirmed earlier this week.

Royal aides also revealed that the couple would be ‘accompanied by other members of the Royal Family’, although no further names were given.

The decision for Charles, 75, to attend will be viewed as significant given that it suggests the King’s doctors are happy for him to be at an event despite his cancer treatment.

Charles and Camilla will go to the Easter Mattins Service – as it is officially known – which will run for one hour from 10.45am until 11.45am, according to the chapel. 

The service will be preceded by holy communion from 8.30am until 9am. There will also be a said eucharist from 12pm to 12.45pm, then evensong at 3.30pm to 4.15pm.

The King has been receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer since early February after he had an operation for an enlarged prostate at the London Clinic.

Charles’s Easter Sunday engagement will be seen as the King making a move to reassure the public following the shock news.

The King is still undergoing treatment for cancer himself, but has been carrying out low-key official duties behind palace walls.

Although the Easter service is within the grounds of the castle, the King and Queen will be seen arriving, and are often watched by staff living at Windsor, who usually gather on a grassy bank nearby or watch from their doorsteps.

At last year’s service, the King and Queen attended along with Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, Sophie and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

It was thought that last year, with Charles making the major decisions following the death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, that Easter may have already had some changes.

The family would normally enjoy lamb for lunch, though other items sourced from the royal estates could also be part of the meal, including carrots, new potatoes, venison, and roast ham.

Children would dine separately, but it was thought that Charles may have chosen to relax that rule.

THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES 

Kate, the Prince of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will miss the service on Sunday. 

This is a change from last year, when the Prince and Princess attended the service with all three of their children for the first time.

The family are spending the Easter holidays together as they adjust to Kate’s diagnosis, which was discovered in post-operative tests following her major abdominal surgery.

According to the Mirror, an aide said: ‘The family just want to go away for Easter, spend time together, the five of them, close off from the world and move on.’ 

They usually spend the children’s holidays at spacious Anmer Hall in Norfolk – their country home – and are known for revelling in ‘outdoorsy’ activities such as cycling and walking. 

A candid video shared in 2021 for the couple’s tenth wedding anniversary provided an unprecedented glimpse into their family life: climbing sand dunes on a Norfolk beach, toasting marshmallows in the countryside, and playing in the garden at Anmer Hall.

On April 17, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will return to Lambrook School near Ascot.

William will then resume the working pattern he has maintained since the start of the year, juggling official duties with supporting his wife and family, which often includes doing the school run.

Kate revealed she had been diagnosed with cancer in a video issued last Friday evening, having spent a fortnight in the private London Clinic for abdominal surgery in January. 

The King was described by the Palace as being ‘so proud’ of the princess for her courage in speaking out, and is said to be in ‘the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law’.

PRINCESS ANNE, MIKE AND ZARA TINDALL

Every year, both a selection of working and non-working royals attend the Easter church service.

Princess Anne, and her children, Peter Philips and Zara Tindall are amongst those who usually attend, alongside Zara’s husband Mike Tindall.

Last year, their two oldest children, daughters Lena and Mia Tindall also joined their parents for the service.

While the Palace has not confirmed which of the royals will be attending the Sunday service in its statement, it has said the King and Queen will be accompanied by a number of family members, among which could be Peter Philips and the Tindalls, as well as Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.

However, it remains to be seen as to who will be attending the event since the service will be a smaller version of the annual gathering.

Less members of the royal family will attend due to the King having paused public-facing duties while he continues treatment for cancer himself. 

SARAH FERGUSON AND PRINCESSES EUGENIE AND BEATRICE 

Last year, Prince Andrew joined his daughters Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice at the Easter service in Windsor Castle, alongside other members of the Royal Family. 

The late Queen’s son largely remains out in the cold after being forced to step back from frontline royal duties following controversy over his friendship with the late US financier and serial paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

But he does step out for certain family events, having last joined Royal Family members at King Constantine of Greece’s memorial at Windsor on February 27.

His ex-wife Sarah Ferguson didn’t join her family at the Easter celebration last year – however, the Duchess of York has stepped into the spotlight alongside her former husband once again in recent months. 

She joined the Royal Family at Sandringham for Christmas and joined Prince Andrew at the memorial service for King Constantine.

Last Friday, the Duchess of York said she is ‘full of admiration’ for the Princess of Wales for revealing her cancer diagnosis. 

Taking to Instagram, Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, fondly known as Fergie, payed tribute to the mother-of-three, saying that ‘everyone is praying for her’.

In a heartfelt statement, the Duchess of York said: ‘All my thoughts and prayers are with the Princess of Wales as she starts her treatment. I know she will be surrounded by the love of her family and everyone is praying for the best outcome.

‘As someone who has faced their own battles with cancer in recent months, I am full of admiration for the way she has spoken publicly about her diagnosis.’

Princess Beatrice and Eugenie’s mother was herself diagnosed with skin cancer just months after having a mastectomy for breast cancer.

Speaking about Kate’s decision to reveal her own diagnosis, the Duchess added: I know it will do a tremendous amount of good to raise awareness.’

She concluded the message, saying: ‘I hope she will now be given the time, space and privacy to heal.’ 

However, due to the service being ‘smaller than usual’, it’s unclear if the York family will be attending Sunday’s event. 

DUKE AND DUCHESS OF EDINBURGH

Since King Charles, Kate and Prince William have been largely taken away from (or reduced) their public duties, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have been busy, attending a significant number of engagements themselves.

And with reports suggesting that Prince Edward may emerge as the royal’s leading man during this tumultuous time, it seems likely that the couple – who are popular with the public – will be seen at the service.

It’s unclear whether, if they do attend, they’ll be joined by their children Lady Louise Windsor and James, the Earl of Spencer, who have previously accompanied their parents to the occasion.

As the Royal Family faces an unprecedented health crisis, Prince Edward, 60, could emerge as the ‘leading man’, according to The Telegraph.

While Queen Camilla has taken on a reported 13-or-so of the King’s outings, his youngest brother Prince Edward, 60, has ‘taken on an extended list of duties since the King’s illness’.

In fact, the publication reports, a ‘completely different picture is emerging of Prince Edward, who seems destined to be the Royal Family’s new “leading man” – albeit temporarily – thanks to both the King and Prince William curtailing their public duties’. 

It follows a recent speech made by his wife Sophie to mark her husband’s 60th birthday. In it, she paid tribute to his commitment, revealing: ‘You can only guess the number of hours he devotes to this, the most inspiring of youth charities.’

She also added that: ‘He takes an enormous interest in [the vital work of the military and loves nothing better than to go offline and spend happy hours talking one-to-one with those who do so much to serve our country.’

Sophie revealed that her husband supported her own work enormously, saying: ‘He has been my guide and shown me the way over the years. 

‘He has given me much help and advice (not always taken I admit), and his knowledge and instincts that have been honed over decades of service are invaluable – so we share speech notes (not this one, sorry darling!), chat through issues our patronages may be tackling, and together I think we make quite a good team.’

She then continued: ‘Whatever he is doing he gives 150 per cent of himself, and if all else fails he gives any energy he has left out to our exhausted dogs or laying waste to the garden.’ 

THE CHATTOS

Lady Sarah Chatto regularly attends the annual Easter Sunday service at Windsor Castle; she was joined by her husband Daniel and their two sons Arthur and Samuel in 2022.

Lady Sarah, who is the daughter of Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones, was born in 1964.

She was the last royal baby born at a palace rather than a hospital – within weeks of cousins Prince Edward, Lady Helen Windsor and James Ogilvy. 

Queen Elizabeth II was described as a ‘surrogate mother’ to Lady Sarah, who is understood to have reminded Her late Majesty of her late sister.

One royal insider previously revealed: ‘The Queen adores Sarah and seeks out her company as often as possible. She is her absolute favourite younger Royal.

‘They are hugely at ease in each other’s company. Much giggling can be heard when they are together. They share a sense of loyalty, fun, duty and the ridiculous.’ 

But due to this year’s service being ‘smaller than usual’, it’s unlikely Lady Sarah Chatto, who is not a working or senior royal, and her family will attend.