LONDON, April 5 - King Charles and Queen Camilla were present at the traditional Easter Matins service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Sunday, attending one of the central religious observances in the monarch's calendar.
The service, which is an established fixture for the sovereign in his role as supreme governor of the Church of England, saw the king accompanied by his eldest son and heir, Prince William, together with William's wife Catherine and their three children. Other senior royals in attendance included Prince Edward and Anne, the Princess Royal.
On arrival at St George's Chapel, the Dean of Windsor, Christopher Cocksworth, greeted King Charles and Queen Camilla. The queen wore a red hat and coat and was handed a posy of flowers. After the service ended, Charles and Camilla exchanged greetings with members of the crowd, offering a "Happy Easter" to those gathered.
Notable absences at the Windsor service included the monarch's younger brother, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and the king's daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Andrew, who had attended last year’s Easter gathering with his former wife Sarah Ferguson, did not take part this year after being arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The princesses' absence on Sunday, sources said last week, was their own choice and not directed by the king.
The Easter period also intersected with broader public attention on issues linked to allegations involving Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. The family of Virginia Giuffre - who had accused the late financier of trafficking her to Prince Andrew when she was 17 - urged King Charles on Saturday to meet survivors during the king's state visit to the United States later this month. They said the visit coincided with the anniversary of Giuffre's death. Giuffre had alleged that Epstein trafficked her to Andrew; the former prince has denied those allegations and said he had no recollection of meeting her. He reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022 without admitting wrongdoing.
Separately, the Church of England marked the holiday with a notable sermon: Sarah Mullally, the archbishop of Canterbury and the first woman to head the Church of England, delivered her first Easter sermon at Canterbury Cathedral on Sunday.
This year King Charles did not deliver a formal Easter message.