King Charles's Easter Sunday guest list is poised to be significantly reduced this year as the royal family contends with the ongoing scandal surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Last year, a robust contingent of fourteen individuals, led by the King and Queen, attended the annual service at Windsor's St George's Chapel, including Andrew, Sarah Ferguson, and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. However, this weekend's lineup is anticipated to be markedly different, with Andrew and Fergie effectively ostracised from the royal fold due to their connections to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, while Beatrice and Eugenie have arranged alternative Easter plans.
Key Absences and Exclusions
While their father faces a police investigation into allegations of misconduct in public office, King Charles has granted permission for Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie to abstain from the Easter celebrations. Their absence from the event comes despite insiders emphasising that the sisters remain integral family members and will likely appear at future gatherings. Meanwhile, there is no expectation for Prince Harry or Meghan Markle to join the royals for Easter, with the couple projected to stay in Montecito with their children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.
Expected Attendees and Royal Protocol
The Royal Family's Easter Sunday service traditionally welcomes only members of the Firm and their engaged or married partners. Despite its significance in the royal calendar, the Prince and Princess of Wales missed the event in both 2024 and 2025 to enjoy quality time in Norfolk with their children before the school term resumed. This year, however, William and Kate are expected to accompany the King and Queen in Windsor, much to the delight of royal enthusiasts who were disappointed by their prior non-attendance.
As the family navigates the Epstein scandal's repercussions, speculation abounds regarding who will participate in this weekend's annual service. Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend the Easter Sunday service at St George's Chapel. Their Majesties are likely to be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne, Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and their children. It remains uncertain whether other notable royals, such as Zara and Mike Tindall or Peter Phillips and Harriet Sperling, will be present.
Service Details and Traditions
Charles's Easter Sunday engagement is viewed as a strategic move to reassure the public following the barrage of news concerning Andrew's controversial ties to Epstein. The King and Queen will attend the Easter Mattins Service, scheduled from 10.45am to 11.45am, preceded by holy communion from 8.30am to 9am. Additional services include a said eucharist from 12pm to 12.45pm and evensong from 3.30pm to 4.15pm. Although the service occurs within Windsor Castle grounds, the royal arrivals are often observed by staff residing at Windsor, who typically gather on nearby grassy banks or watch from their doorsteps.
Post-service, family members return to Windsor Castle for a traditional roast lamb lunch, potentially featuring other items sourced from royal estates, such as carrots, new potatoes, venison, and roast ham.
The Waleses' Easter Plans
While the Prince and Princess of Wales have previously bypassed royal Easter celebrations, this year they are anticipated to make an appearance at the high-profile event. Last year, the Waleses celebrated Easter with the Middleton family at Sandringham, even making an incognito visit to a church service at St Mary Magdalene Church alongside Kate's parents. During that visit, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis received hot cross buns from the vicar, Canon Paul Williams, as part of the holiday festivities.
Approximately 150 royal fans congregated outside the church hoping to glimpse the family, but were left disappointed when they departed through the back entrance. Although William and Kate have scaled back royal engagements during the Easter period to prioritise family time with their children, the couple is expected to join senior Firm members for the Windsor service. In 2024, the Princess of Wales missed the event as she underwent cancer treatment, with the family focusing on adjusting to her diagnosis.
Beatrice, Eugenie, and Parental Exclusions
Amid the scandal surrounding their parents' associations with Epstein, both Beatrice and Eugenie are set to spend Easter away from senior family members at Windsor. Consequently, their respective husbands, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank, are also excluded from the lineup. Meanwhile, neither Andrew nor Sarah Ferguson are included in this year's royal Easter guest list. Last year, the disgraced former prince attended the service in Berkshire alongside his ex-wife, but he has since been stripped of his royal titles, cast out of the royal fold, and relocated to a new Sandringham residence.
Fergie has not been seen publicly since December 12, aside from a few potential sightings, having largely vanished from view amid the ongoing fallout from her Epstein links. The news of Beatrice and Eugenie's Easter absence follows earlier revelations that the princesses had been barred from Royal Ascot after their father's arrest. This decision is part of a broader strategy to exclude them from all public-facing events for the foreseeable future, stemming from high-level Palace meetings regarding their roles given lingering questions about their financial and other ties to the paedophile financier.
Strained Relations and Future Implications
Reports indicate a growing rift between the sisters and the Prince and Princess of Wales, who are reportedly keen to maintain distance until details of any Epstein connections are clarified. A well-placed source disclosed that Beatrice has been particularly affected, feeling blindsided by the developments. Prince William is also said to have advised other royals to avoid appearing in photographs with Beatrice and Eugenie for the remainder of the year.
Sussexes' Easter in California
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are not expected to attend this year's Easter celebrations, remaining over 5,000 miles away in Montecito. Meghan Markle has never participated in a Royal Easter service, while Harry has not been seen at the traditional festivities since 2019. Although little is known about the Sussexes' specific Easter plans, footage from their Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, showed the prince organising an Easter egg hunt for Archie, suggesting it may become a family tradition in California.
Concurrently, friends of Prince Harry have claimed he desires an invitation from the King for his family to stay in Norfolk this summer to facilitate time with his grandchildren. They assert that the Duke of Sussex aims to mend familial rifts by spending time with his father on the private Sandringham estate in July. However, sources close to the monarch cite "low trust and bitter experience" due to a series of leaks and media briefings from "Team Sussex" in recent years, presenting significant obstacles to restoring family harmony.
