Catherine, Princess of Wales returns to Easter Sunday service after two-year absence

Prince Louis smiled and was rewarded with an affectionate pat on the cheek by King Charles III, a sweet but unremarkable moment were it between any ordinary seven-year-old and his grandfather.

But footage of this seconds-long interaction has been beamed to millions across the globe overnight, watched and spoken about almost as much as the cream Self-Portrait dress the Princess of Wales chose for her return to the British royal family’s Easter Matins service after a two-year absence.

Such is the power of Catherine and the three children she shares with Prince William, all of whom were greeted with cheers from the crowd waiting to catch a glimpse of the royals as they arrived at St George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

It is the first time the Wales family has attended the event since 2023. Catherine, now in remission, revealed her cancer diagnosis to the public weeks before the 2024 service, opting to spend the Easter holiday privately with her husband and Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Louis that year and again in 2025.

A third absence, however, was no longer an option for the two most popular British royals. Particularly because of who was decidedly not invited this year: the man formerly known as Prince Andrew.

At the 2025 service, the then-duke of York and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, were still in the family fold.

In the 12 months since, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been stripped of his royal titles, evicted from his Royal Lodge home and arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. (He has denied accusations of wrongdoing and was released without charge after 11 hours in police custody on his 66th birthday.)

Ferguson’s whereabouts are unknown, but Mountbatten-Windsor – who, alongside ex-British cabinet minister Peter Mandelson, is being investigated for his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein – was seen driving on the Sandringham Estate, where he is moving into Marsh Farm.

Also missing were his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. It’s understood they made alternative arrangements for Easter Sunday with the “agreement and understanding” of the King, and they have not been ostracised from family events.

Despite the high-profile absences – including that of Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who was said to be feeling “under the weather” – a sizeable group still converged at St George’s Chapel.

Alongside the King and Queen Camilla were Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and his son James, Earl of Wessex; and Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

Notably, Harriet Sperling – the fiancée of the Princess Royal’s son Peter Phillips – made her debut at the event with her 13-year-old daughter, Georgina, ahead of her June wedding.

The King’s apparent willingness to embrace a blended royal family for non-official engagements, however, has paradoxically put the perils of his “slimmed-down monarchy” on display.

Thanks to Andrew’s disgrace and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s self-imposed exile, there are 11 senior royals available to work official events, the eldest of whom is the 90-year-old Duke of Kent.

Six turned up at the family’s annual tradition on Sunday, but only one has the pull to eclipse the scandals: the latest being allegations of a physical altercation between Mountbatten-Windsor and one of Queen Elizabeth II’s most senior aides, which London’s The Telegraph published hours before the event. Neither Mountbatten-Windsor nor Buckingham Palace have commented.

Based on the decline in search traffic for “Prince Andrew news” – compared with the spike for “Kate Middleton Easter outfits” – “work-shy” William and Catherine can no longer be relegated to the bench.

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