One of the biggest moments of the year has involved not one, but two British royal family members. As 2024 promises more historical moments from the family, everyone is waiting to see who will and will not attend the traditional Easter church service.
Following King Charles III’s cancer diagnosis in February and the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton’s announcement of her cancer diagnosis last week, the royal roster attending the Easter Sunday service has changed. Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla, who made history by filling in a royal’s duty at Thursday’s Royal Maundy, will attend Easter Service at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. This will be the first major public engagement for Charles since announcing his health diagnosis and undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.
Vanity Fair confirms that Prince William, Princess Kate, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, will not be attending the service. The family is spending time together at Sandringham during the children’s four-week break from school, according to Mirror. This extended break from school likely corresponds with Kate’s plea to have “some time, space, and privacy while I complete my treatment” for herself and her family after announcing her cancer diagnosis.
The Prince and Princess of Wales’ social media posted the video, in which Kate explained her health struggles and why she has been “missing” from the public eye since Christmas. During a “planned abdominal surgery,” doctors discovered cancer. Since then, the Princess has been focusing on her children’s well-being, explaining, “… it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte, and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be OK.” Buckingham Palace has not revealed Kate’s type of cancer.
While the Prince and Princess of Wales will not be spending the holiday with the rest of the royal family, Vanity Fair reports that the family is staying in touch with daily calls. Charles released a public statement of support for his daughter-in-law on Friday after the video was uploaded, saying that he is “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did.”
This will be another historic Easter service for the royal family. Last year, the royals celebrated Easter for the first time since the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Kate and Camilla both wore bright blue dresses, matching their husbands’ dark blue suits. Prince Andrew, Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and Princess Anne were also in attendance. They will most likely attend the 2024 Easter Service alongside several other royal family members.
As per usual, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be attending the Easter Service as they are no longer active royals and reside in California. The two former royals released a statement to news agencies: “We wish health and healing for Kate and the family, and hope they are able to do so privately and in peace.”
