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Daily Record
Daily Record
Entertainment
Aine Fox & Ketsuda Phoutinane

William, Kate and kids at Easter service as the Queen misses event for first time in over 50 years

Prince William and Kate Middleton were joined by Prince George and Princess Charlotte for Easter Sunday service today.

Members of the royal family attended church without the Queen at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

The family of four - without the almost four-year-old Prince Louis - were snapped in the spring sunshine as Her Majesty, who has been dealing with mobility issues, missed the service.

Easter service is a staple on the royal calendar and it is the first time she has not made it to the event in more than 50 years, the Mirror reported.

It is believed Prince William passed on a reunion with his brother Harry who paid a secret visit to the Queen and Prince Charles with Meghan on Thursday.

The Queen revealed last week that Covid left her "very tired and exhausted".

Prince George and Princess Charlotte were photographed attending Easter service with their parents (Getty Images)

Buckingham Palace announced that the 95-year-old monarch had tested positive for the virus earlier this year.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who represented the Queen at Thursday's Royal Maundy service at the same chapel, are also not attending the Easter Sunday service.

Kate wore light blue, as did her daughter, who held William's hand as she walked to the chapel in the grounds of the castle.

Prince George, like his father, wore a suit and tie.

The royal family attended Easter service without the Queen this year (Getty Images)

The Cambridge children's Easter Sunday outing follows another rare public appearance last month in honour of their great-grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The eight-year-old future king and his six-year-old sister joined their parents at the memorial service for Philip at Westminster Abbey.

The Queen, who was also present at the memorial service, has been carrying out virtual events and other duties as head of state.

The 95-year-old, who turns 96 on Thursday, reached her Platinum Jubilee in February and overcame a bout of Covid after testing positive that month.

Kate Middleton wore matching light blue with her daughter Princess Charlotte (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Princess Charlotte leaving Easter service in Windsor today (PA)

After spending a night in hospital last October, she spent the following three months under doctors' orders to only conduct light duties and missed a number of prominent events.

The Queen had a visit from her grandson the Duke of Sussex and his wife the Duchess of Sussex in Windsor on Thursday.

Harry and Meghan had flown from their home in the US and stopped off in England before heading to The Hague in the Netherlands for the Invictus Games.

While in Windsor, the couple also met with Charles but not William, amid long standing rumours of a rift between the brothers.

The couple, who snubbed the chance to attend the late Prince Philip's memorial service last month, smiled and waved at the stunned onlookers in Windsor.

Harry and Meghan’s attendance at a reception at the games on Friday marked their first public appearance together in Europe since quitting as senior working royals more than two years ago.

The Sussexes quit as working members of the Firm in March 2020 and have since settled in California with their two children.

There have been mounting tensions between the pair and the rest of the royals due to a series of scandalous claims made from across the pond.

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