Only a small group of royals joined King Charles and Queen Camilla at the annual Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle today – and the youngest among them caused a stir among royal fans on social media
King Charles was joined by just a select group of royals at the traditional Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle today.
It was the King’s most significant public appearance since his cancer diagnosis was revealed last month – and compared to last year, fewer members of the family attended the service – most notably the Princess of Wales, who released an emotional video message last week disclosing that she too had also received a cancer diagnosis. However, those who were able to attend were Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, as well as Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh – and one final royal.
That was the youngest royal at the service, Edward and Sophie’s 16-year-old son James, the Earl of Wessex, who is a nephew of the King and the late Queen’s youngest grandchild. Looking smart in a suit, the teenager towered over his mum Sophie, who wore a vibrant purple coat, and appeared close in height to his dad, Edward.
And royal fans could not believe how tall the rarely-seen royal had become. One said on X, formerly Twitter : “Oh my God, James is so grown up.” Another wrote: “Can we talk about the height of James, Earl of Wessex, huh?!?” And one fan remarked: “He is so tall now.”
James, the younger brother of Lady Louise Windsor, is 15th in line to the throne and became the Earl of Wessex last year when his parents were made Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. He has mainly grown up in private with his family – away from the public spotlight.
But over the past few years, the teenager has made several high-profile appearances such as at the Commonwealth Games, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and the King’s Coronation. He was born in December 2007 at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey – close to his parent’s home of Bagshot Park. His full name is James Alexander Philip Theo – with the middle name Philip clearly a nod to his late grandfather Prince Philip.
Earlier, the King beamed and waved to the small crowd as he and Camilla, in a green coat dress by Anna Valentine and a Philip Treacy hat, arrived for the service by car. The King, wearing a dark coat and blue tie, smiled and waved at members of the public outside St George’s Chapel. One person shouted “Happy Easter”, to which Charles gestured with his arm and responded: “And to you.”
As is customary, the King sat inside the chapel in the Sovereign’s Seat which is situated at the front of the altar, along with his family who were in their usual places in the stalls. The layout of St George’s Chapel is such that the main congregation sits in a separate section of the church.
Afterwards, the King was applauded by members of the public as he left St George’s Chapel. The service concluded around 11:45am before Charles and the Queen re-emerged from the chapel to cries of “Happy Easter”. Camilla was presented with a posy of white and yellow flowers by a young boy. And in a surprise, the King went over to where a small crowd had been allowed to gather and was seen accepting get well cards as well as shaking hands, with one wellwisher telling him: “We are all behind you.” One man added: “Happy Easter Your Majesty. Keep going strong.”
Another member of the public told Charles on Sunday: “We’re all rooting for you, we’ve all got your back.” The King shook hands and spoke with those who had gathered at Windsor and told them: “You’re very brave to stand out here in the cold.”
The King’s treatment for cancer was announced at the start of February, but he has been carrying out low-key official duties behind palace walls. It is also believed this is why there is a much smaller gathering of royals at this year’s service as he has paused public-facing duties during his treatment.
