King Charles III made his first significant public appearance Sunday morning since announcing his cancer diagnosis and scaling back his royal duties.
The monarch attended an Easter service at Windsor Castle, accompanied by Queen Camilla. Waving to spectators outside St. George’s Chapel, he was greeted with a “Happy Easter” from a member of the public.
“And to you,” he responded.
The King and Queen were seated separately from other members of the royal family, heeding the advice of his medical team to decrease the risk of infection, according to People Magazine. They also will not be attending any reception after the service, or hosting a family lunch.
King Charles III waved to spectators upon arriving at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor for an Easter morning service. (Hollie Adams – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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King Charles III appearance on Easter was the monarch’s first major public outing since announcing his cancer diagnosis. (Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)
Noticeably absent from the festivities were Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, along with their three young children. The Princess of Wales only just announced her own cancer diagnosis nine days ago, shocking the world after undergoing abdominal surgery in January.
“It has been an incredibly tough couple of months for our entire family, but I’ve had a fantastic medical team who have taken great care of me, for which I am so grateful,” the princess began in an emotional pre-recorded video. She revealed that after her abdominal surgery, doctors initially believed her “condition was non-cancerous,” but further testing proved otherwise.
Kate Middleton announced to the word she had cancer in a pre-recorded message shared earlier in March. (The Prince and Princess of Wales Twitter)
“My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” she shared.
“The Princess will return to official duties when she is cleared to do so by her medical team,” a Kensington Palace spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time of the announcement. “She is in good spirits and is focused on making a full recovery.”
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Additional members of the royal family did attend the Sunday morning service, including the disgraced Prince Andrew, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, and his sister Anne, Princess Royal.
On Thursday, the King released a pre-recorded address, shared at the Royal Maundy service in Worcester Catherdral.
“It is for me a great sadness that I cannot be with you all today,” Charles’ message, which was filmed in mid-March, began. “The Maundy service has a very special place in my heart.”
WINDSOR, ENGLAND – MARCH 31: Queen Camilla and King Charles III depart from the Easter Mattins Service at Windsor Castle on March 31, 2024 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
“It has its origin in the life of Our Lord who knelt before his disciples and, to their great surprise, washed their travel-weary feet. And, as we have just heard, in doing so he deliberately gave to them, and to us all, an example of how we should serve and care for each other,” he added.
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“In this country we are blessed by all the different services that exist for our welfare. But over and above these organizations and their selfless staff, we need and benefit greatly from those who extend the hand of friendship to us, especially in a time of need,” he emphasized.
In his absence, Queen Camilla attended the service.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
