King back in leading role at Royal Easter service
CHARLES and Camilla will lead the Royal Family at the Easter Sunday church service – the King’s first major event since his cancer diagnosis.
Yesterday’s confirmation by Buckingham Palace signals that Charles’s doctors believe he is now well enough to be around more people.
A source close to the 75-yearold King, who was diagnosed at the beginning of February, said treatment “is going well” and “both doctors and patient remain positive”.
Duties
The Prince and Princess ofWales and their three children will not be attending the service at Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel as Kate, 42, continues her cancer treatment.
The family will instead spend the Easter holidays together.
Prince William, 41, will return to royal duties when the children return for the new school term on April 17. Kate is taking an indefinite leave of absence while she focuses on her recovery.
Charles was said by the Palace to be “so proud” of the Princess for her courage in speaking out. He is said to be in “the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law”.
Over the past few years the Easter Mattins service has been well attended by the Royal Family. Almost as many take part as those who step out on Christmas Day. However, this year’s service will look slightly different with fewer members, to limit the number of people with whom the King comes into contact.
Veteran royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said Charles’s attendance on Easter Sunday was welcome news and “highly encouraging”. He said: “It is clearly proof of the reports that his treatment is going well.
“Needless to say, the workaholic monarch reportedly finds the restrictions on his activities extremely frustrating.
“His subjects, however, will be
delighted that he will be attending and hope that the speculation that he might attend the Buckingham Palace garden parties in May and Royal Ascot in June proves accurate.”
Mr Fitzwilliams added: “It shows he is very much in charge which is essential, especially at this unprecedented time for the Royal Family, when both he and the Princess of Wales are fighting a serious illness.”
Gathering
Yesterday, Charles hosted a gathering of faith leaders at Buckingham Palace. It was the first time he was pictured carrying out official duties since Kate shared her cancer news with the nation on Friday evening.
The monarch, with a folded cardboard place name in front of him labelled “HM The King”, was shown in conversation around a large antique table in the Palace’s Billiard Room.
Charles welcomed alumni from the Windsor Leadership Trust, including Prince’s Trust group CEO Dame Martina Milburn.
The group encourages multi-faith dialogue, harmony and understanding. Building bridges between religions and encouraging tolerance has been a long-standing cause for the King.
Charles suspended almost all his public engagements since his cancer diagnosis. But he has continued with state business, including a weekly audience with the PM and reading his daily red boxes.