Royal family gather at Windsor Castle for first Easter Sunday service of Charles’s reign

The King gathered his family around him for his first Easter Sunday appearance at Windsor as monarch this morning. 

Following in the footsteps of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who always held Easter Court at her beloved Berkshire residence, Charles was accompanied by his wife, the Queen Consort, and his three eldest grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. 

A staple in the royal calendar, last year’s event saw the now-Prince and Princess of Wales attend in the spring sunshine with their two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The Princess of Wales and the Queen Consort both opted for royal blues as their outfit of choice for Easter Sunday, with the mother-of-three arriving hand-in-hand with her youngest son Prince Louis, who was joining the family at the service for the first time.

He held onto his mother’s hand and glanced seriously at the waiting media, while the Princess offered a brief smile and a greeting.

The Prince and Princess of Wales have arrived with all three of their children at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for the first Easter Sunday service of King Charles’s reign 

The King and Queen Consort looked in good spirits as they waved hello to the crowds of people watching on as the royals walked into St George’s Chapel

Also in attendance on Sunday is Prince Andrew, who walked alongside his sister Princess Anne who wore a cream double-breasted coat and a decorated navy blue hat.

A smiling Princess Charlotte, seven, in a coat and smart dark shoes with blue tights, held onto the Prince of Wales’ hand with Prince George, nine, standing behind her.

The Wales family were in a group of younger royals at back of the party walking down from Windsor Castle to St George’s Chapel.

That group included the king’s niece Princess Beatrice and her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi, and Mike and Zara Tindall with their two eldest children, Mia and Lena.

The King and Queen Consort – also in royal blue – led the party. Behind them were his brother and sister, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne.

Next in line were the new Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and their eldest son, James, now the Earl of Wessex. Their student daughter Lady Louise was absent.

Also present in the party was Princess Anne’s husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, who was walking with Queen Elizabeth’s niece Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel. 

They were followed by a heavily pregnant Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank, who are expecting their second child together. 

The family group was notably missing the estranged Duke and Duchess of Sussex who have not yet confirmed whether they will even attend the king’s coronation. 

The family attended Mattins at historic St George’s Chapel, where Queen Elizabeth was interred last September. 

Today makes The King and Queen’s 18th wedding anniversary and the second anniversary of Prince Philip’s death.

He held onto his mother’s hand and glanced seriously at the waiting media, while the Princess offered a brief smile and a greeting

The Wales family were in a group of younger royals at back of the party walking down from Windsor Castle to St George’s Chapel

A smiling Princess Charlotte, seven, in a coat and smart dark shoes with blue tights, held onto the Prince of Wales’ hand with Prince George, nine, standing behind her

It comes after reports suggested Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will star in the King’s Coronation procession at Westminster Abbey on May 6

Also in attendance on Sunday is Prince Andrew, who walked alongside his sister Princess Anne who wore a cream double-breasted coat and a decorated navy blue hat

Zara Tindall is pictured arriving at St George’s Chapel on Sunday morning with her daughter

Princess Charlotte flashes a cheeky grin at the media and public watching on as the family arrived for Easter Sunday service

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh with Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh and James, Earl of Wessex attends the Easter Mattins Service

Pregnant Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank walked hand-in-hand as they arrived on Sunday

The Princess of Wales is pictured with her youngest son Prince Louis, who is joining the royals on their Easter Sunday Service for the first time

Prince Louis looked smart in his blue shorts, checkered shirt and tailored navy blazer while walking hand-in-hand with his mother the Prince of Wales on Sunday

The royal family will be out in force at St George’s Chapel in the grounds of the Berkshire castle for the traditional Easter Day Mattins

The Queen Consort looked elegant in the royal blue dress and she matched it with a leather top-handle handbag

The King was relaxed as he arrived for his first Easter Mattins Service on Sunday while waving hello to well-wishers nearby

The King and Queen Consort looked in good spirits as they waved hello to the crowds of people watching on as the royals walked into St George’s Chapel. 

It is also likely to be a moving moment for the royal family, with the 15th century chapel being the late Queen’s final resting place and the Easter Sunday service the first to take place since her death.

Elizabeth II is buried in the church’s tiny King George VI Memorial Chapel, alongside Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and her late parents George VI and the Queen Mother, with their four names inscribed on a new black stone slab set in the floor.

The Windsors gathered at St George’s in September for the monarch and royal matriarch’s televised committal service and then private burial following her state funeral in Westminster Abbey.

The late Queen missed last April’s Easter Sunday service due to mobility problems.

Charles, as monarch, has succeeded his mother to become the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

In less than a month’s time, he will be crowned alongside the Camilla, the Queen Consort in a religious service in Westminster Abbey.

As the Prince of Wales, Charles often released an Easter message and last year highlighted the millions of displaced people ‘wounded by the past, fearful of the future’, but this year has not, likely to be a reflection of his new role as head of state.

It comes after reports suggested Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will star in the King’s Coronation procession at Westminster Abbey on May 6.

The Prince of Wales’s children are expected to join their parents in a carriage behind Charles and Camilla, who will be in the Gold State Coach, according to rehearsal documents seen by The Times.

Harry and Meghan still have not officially indicated whether they will attend the Coronation. Even so, staff are making plans so that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will be able to join the celebrations if they do.

Queen Consort Camilla was handed a bunch of posies as she exited St George’s Chapel on Sunday

It is also likely to be a moving moment for the royal family, with the 15th century chapel being the late Queen’s final resting place and the Easter Sunday service the first to take place since her death (Zara and Mike Tindall are pictured on Sunday with their family)

Zara rearranges her dress while walking beside her husband Mike Tindall, and their two daughters Mia Grace Tindall (left) and Lena Tindall (right)

The Tindall family are closely followed by Princess Beatrice, pictured in the baby pink dress with a black belt tie

Princess Beatrice arrived hand-in-hand with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on Sunday

Prince George, pictured, has had a busy Easter weekend as only yesterday he cheering on Aston Villa with his father Prince William at the match against Nottingham Forest

Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis held their parents hands as they arrived for the Easter Mattins service on Sunday

Prince Louis had a typically cheeky look on his face as he walked on to St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle with his family

Princess Charlotte gives her little brother Prince Louis a warm smile as he arrives for his first ever Sunday Service at St George’s Chapel, aged four

Princess Charlotte arrived for her second Easter Sunday Service, leading the way for her little brother Prince Louis who looked curious for his first one

The Princess of Wales looked elegant as always as she proudly arrived at the Sunday Service with her family

Four-year-old Prince Louis looked on at the crowd in curiosity as he held his mother, the Princess of Wales’ hand

The King and Queen Consort arrive for the Easter Mattins Service for the first time as Monarch and Consort

Elizabeth II is buried in the church’s tiny King George VI Memorial Chapel, alongside Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and her late parents George VI and the Queen Mother, with their four names inscribed on a new black stone slab set in the floor

Vice Timothy Laurence is pictured walking closely behind his wife Princess Anne on Sunday

The King and Queen Consort – also in royal blue – led the party. Behind them were his brother and sister, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne

The monarch, the Queen Consort are followed by the rest of the royal family on Sunday morning

The royal family head into St George’s chapel for the Easter Sunday Service at Windsor Castle

It should not come as a surprise that the young Wales’ are participating in the procession, especially since George, 9, and Charlotte, 7, both accompanied the royal family during the Queen’s funeral procession. Louis, 4, was deemed ‘too young’. 

Rehearsal plans show that Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children will process out of the abbey, the newspaper reported.

They will be joined by the Princess Royal, her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra. 

Prince Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Harry and Meghan are not expected to participate.