Ever wondered how the Royals spend their Easter? Well, this year is a bit different.
Breaking from tradition, the Queen did not attend the Easter Sunday service at St George’s Chapel this year.
Maundy Thursday
The Queen normally spends her Easter weekend privately with her family. However, Her Majesty has traditionally begun the public celebrations on Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter Sunday, when she visits a cathedral to hand out special coins to men and women in acknowledgment of their commitment to their community and church. The ritual has been held every year in England since 600 AD, and the Queen has wanted to expand it since her reign began in 1952. Unfortunately, this year Her Majesty had to forego the treasured tradition, with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall representing her instead.
East Sunday
For the Royal Family, Easter is normally about bringing everyone back together. Every year, most members – including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, and Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie – gather at Windsor Castle for the Easter Sunday church service at St George’s Chapel, where crowds of well-wishers gather in the castle grounds with flowers and presents. The Royal Family traditionally returns to Windsor Castle after the church service for a traditional roast lamb lunch.
However, the Queen, who has been suffering from mobility issues, did not attend this year’s service, which is a staple in the royal calendar. This will be the first time the Queen has missed an Easter Sunday service in five decades. The last time was in 1970, when the monarch was on a tour of New Zealand and Australia. The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles were also absent. Nonetheless, other family members were at the service, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arriving promptly alongside their two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
Easter Egg Hunt
While the palace has never confirmed whether or not special Easter egg hunts are held at Windsor, Her Majesty’s great-grandchildren are almost certainly treated to one in the grounds of Windsor Castle. The Duchess of Cambridge did reveal in her first solo television interview in 2016 that the Queen ‘always leaves a little gift or something in their room when we go and stay,’ so surely she’d happily organise a chocolate trail for her little visitors. And we can only imagine all the great hiding places.