Prince William and Kate Middleton Skip Royal Family's Easter Service

11 hours ago 1

Kate Middleton and Prince William Share Rare Moment of PDA In Celebration of Valentine’s Day

A few familiar faces were royally missed during this holiday outing.

Prince William, his wife Kate Middleton and their children Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, did not join King Charles III and Queen Camilla for the royal family’s annual Easter Matlins service at St George's Chapel in Windsor April 20.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are instead spending the weekend at their country home in Norfolk with their kids, who are still on a break from school, according to multiple reports.

The service was attended by several members of the Royal family, including Princess Anne and husband Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Edward and wife Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Prince Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and their daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.

In addition to William and Kate, Anne's son Peter Phillips, daughter Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall, and Edward and Sophie's daughter Lady Louise were also absent from the event.

This marks the second year in a row that William and Kate and their children have not attended the Royal family's annual Easter church service. The 2024 holiday had taken place a little more than a week after Kate announced she had been diagnosed with cancer.

Kirsty Wigglesworth - WPA Pool/Getty Images

The 43-year-old has since made several public appearances, including at the Royal family's annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London in March.

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Kate—who announced she completed chemotherapy in September—revealed in January that she was in remission.

"I remain focused on recovery," the princess added in her statement on X, formerly Twitter. "As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal. I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead. There is much to look forward to. Thank you to everyone for your continued support."

Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images

The King did attend the Royal family's previous Easter church service in March 2024, marking his first major public appearance since revealing his own cancer battle the previous month.

His participation in this year's holiday event comes three weeks after he was briefly hospitalized following a routine appointment in his cancer treatment.

"Following scheduled and ongoing medical treatment for cancer this morning, The King experienced temporary side effects that required a short period of observation in hospital,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement obtained by E! News March 27. “His Majesty’s afternoon engagements were therefore postponed."

The 76-year-old later released a holiday message. "There are three virtues that the world still needs — faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love,” he wrote in an April 17 statement on his website. "It is with these timeless truths in my mind, and my heart, that I wish you all a blessed and peaceful Easter."

Read on for more Royal news in 2025...

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

Former Bodyguard to Prince Harry and Prince William Dies

Graham Craker—who acted as a bodyguard for the royal family, including Prince Harry and Prince William—died at the age of 77 in April.

Craker was notably with the boys when they learned their mother, Princess Diana, had died and he participated in her funeral services. 

On the latter, Craker told The New York Post in 2017, "I was standing at the rear of the hearse and William looked up and acknowledged me. I looked toward him and nodded. William was comforted that I was with his mum on her final journey.”

(Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

The Duke and Duchess of Westminster Expecting Their First Baby

Hugh Grosvenor, who is King Charles III’s godson, and his wife Olivia Grosvenor announced March 12 that she is pregnant with their first baby.

“The duchess is expecting a baby in the summer,” a spokesperson told The Telegraph. “The couple are delighted with the news and are very much looking forward to starting a family together.”

The PolG Foundation

Luxembourg's Prince Fredrik Dies at 22

Prince Frederik—the son of Prince Robert and his wife Princess Juliedied March 1 at 22 years old after a battle with PolG mitochondrial disease, a rare genetic disorder.

"Frederik knows that he is my Superhero, as he is to all of our family, and to so very many good friends and now in great part thanks to his PolG Foundation, to so very many people the world over," Robert said in a statement. "Part of his superpower was his ability to inspire and to lead by example."

Karwai Tang/WireImage

Prince Harry Reaches Settlement in U.K. Tabloids Lawsuit

The Duke of Sussex reached a settlement with News Group Newspapers—which is responsible for The Sun as well as the now defunct News of the World—on Jan. 22 after suing the organization in 2019 over alleged unlawful actions on the part of journalists and private investigators working for the newspapers to obtain information on the royal family.

The deal included the company paying "substantial damages," as well as issuing a "full and unequivocal apology" to Harry and public acknowledgement of "the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales,” per NBC News.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Kate Middleton Is in Remission After Finishing Chemotherapy for Cancer

The Princess of Wales announced on Jan. 14 that she's in remission after complete cancer treatments

"It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery," she wrote in a message on X, formerly Twitter, Jan. 14. "As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal."

"I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead," she continued. "There is much to look forward to."

Photo by Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images

Meghan Markle's Longtime Dog Guy Dies

The Duchess of Sussex mourned the death of her beloved rescue beagle, who she adopted in 2015 before meeting husband Prince Harry.

She wrote on Instagram Jan. 7, "I have cried too many tears to count - the type of tears that make you get in the shower with the absurd hope that the running water on your face will somehow make you not feel them, or pretend they’re not there. But they are. And that’s okay too."

"Thank you for so many years of unconditional love, my sweet Guy," Meghan added. "You filled my life in ways you’ll never know."

Samir Hussein/WireImage

Prince William Mourns Death of Former Nanny's Stepson

Edward "Ed" Pettifer—stepson of Prince William and Prince Harry's former nanny Alexandra Pettifer, also known as Tiggy Legge-Bourke—was one of the victims of the New Year's Day terrorist attack in New Orleans.

"Catherine and I have been shocked and saddened by the tragic death of Ed Pettifer," William said in a message posted on Kate Middleton's Instagram Stories Jan. 4. "Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Pettifer family and all those innocent people who have been tragically impacted by this horrific attack."

Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images

Meghan Markle Rejoins Instagram to Reveal New Netflix Show

The Suits alum—who shut down her personal social media accounts shortly before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry—debuted a solo Instagram page on Jan. 1.

A day later, she announced a new Netflix series titled With Love, Meghan, which "reimagines the genre of lifestyle programming, blending practical how-to’s and candid conversation with friends, new and old," according to a press release.

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App

Read Entire Article