King will attend Easter service at Windsor, palace confirms
‘Their Majesties the King and Queen ... will attend the service at St George’s’’
BUCKINGHAM PALACE has confirmed that the King will attend the traditional Easter Matins church service in Windsor on Sunday.
The King, accompanied by the Queen, will lead members of the Royal family at the traditional service at St George’s Chapel.
The King, 75, 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 be smaller than usual, in an outing 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 his cancer diagnosis early last month.
Kensington Palace has said the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children will not attend. The Princess revealed on Friday that she was having treatment for cancer.
The King has also recorded an audio message that will be played at the Royal Maundy Thursday service at Worcester Cathedral tomorrow, when he will be represented by the Queen.
The Queen, 76, will Maundy money on behalf of her husband, taking on the ancient custom for the first time. Yesterday, the King hosted a group of faith leaders at Buckingham Palace. The monarch chatted with the group around a large antique table in the palace’s Billiard Room.
He was photographed yesterday being driven to Buckingham Palace from Windsor.
Pictured in the state Bentley, pen in hand, he appeared to be making notes before the interfaith meeting.
At the palace, he greeted Dame Martina Milburn, a board member of the Windsor Leadership Trust, before sitting alongside Vijaya Nath, a leadership coach.
The meeting was for alumni of a twoday leadership programme held at Windsor Castle last month, which convened representatives of faiths including the Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities to “explore the complex challenges troubling our nation”.