With Easter fast approaching, royal watchers are no doubt eager to see how the family marks the occasion this year.
King Charles, Queen Camilla, and several other members of the royal family are expected to attend the traditional church service at Windsor Castle this weekend — but two senior royals will be noticeably absent.
Typically, the Prince and Princess of Wales are among the regular attendees at this holiday event. However, they missed last year’s service due to Kate’s cancer diagnosis, and now it appears they’ll be skipping it again.
Prince William, Princess Kate, and their three children — Prince George (11), Princess Charlotte (9), and Prince Louis (6) — are reportedly set to break with the Easter tradition for a second consecutive year.
Instead of joining the traditional royal Easter gathering, Kate and William have opted to spend the holiday weekend with their children at their countryside residence in Norfolk.
As reported by The Mirror, sources say the father-of-three had informed King Charles in advance about his decision to skip the annual event in order to “enjoy some extended time as a family over Easter.”
“They are choosing to spend time together as a family before the children go back to school,” the source reportedly added.
A few years ago, the couple shared a glimpse into how their kids like to celebrate the holiday—by taking part in an Easter egg hunt.
“There will be a lot of chocolate being eaten here, don’t worry!” William said back in 2020, during their first full royal engagement via video call amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kate then turned to him with a laugh and said: “You keep eating it!”
Last month, Kate chose to break with a long-standing Mother’s Day tradition by releasing an emotional video instead of the usual family photo to mark the occasion.
Rather than featuring her children, the video highlights the beauty and significance of Mother Nature.
“Over the past year, nature has been our sanctuary,” Kate wrote in the video’s caption. “This Mother’s Day, let us celebrate Mother Nature and recognise how our bond with the natural world can help not only nurture our inner selves, but remind us too of the role we play within the rich tapestry of life. C.”
In the short clip, Kate is seen—though never shown fully—gently placing her hand on the bark of a tree.
Prince William makes a brief appearance as well, but only from behind, with the camera capturing just his legs as he walks through the forest beside Kate.