King Charles and Queen Camilla Mark First Easter Since Queen's Death on Their Wedding Anniversary
The royal couple joined the royal family for a church outing at their wedding venue as they prepare for the coronation — which is less than a month away
King Charles and Queen Camilla are marking the first Easter of the new reign on a special day.
Continuing the royal family's holiday tradition, the King and Queen Consort stepped out on Sunday for an Easter church service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. King Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 75, were joined by Prince William and Kate Middleton with their three children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis (making his Easter debut!) — Prince Edward and Sophie (the newly minted Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh), Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Zara and Mike Tindall, Peter Phillips and more.
The couple coordinated in blue outfits, the same choice of hue for Prince William and Princess Kate's family as well as Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank. Pink was another popular color pick for the Easter outing, worn by Sophie, Princess Beatrice and Zara.
Related:Inside the Royal Family's First Easter Without Queen Elizabeth: Her Faith Meant 'So Much to Her'
This year, the holiday fell on a special day for King Charles and Queen Camilla: their wedding anniversary! On April 9, 2005, the couple tied the knot in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, which was followed by a Church of England service of prayer and dedication at St. George's Chapel.
St. George's Chapel has hosted many other royal weddings — including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's May 2018 nuptials as well as Princess Eugenie and Jack's big day in Oct. 2018 — but the site also holds bittersweet memories. The last time the royals gathered there was for Queen Elizabeth's committal service following her state funeral on Sept. 19, 2022, and the late monarch is buried nearby in the King George VI Memorial Chapel.
Easter also fell on the second anniversary of Prince Philip's death. The husband of Queen Elizabeth and father of King Charles died in 2021 at age 99. His funeral was held at St. George's Chapel with limited attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Queen Elizabeth will surely be on the family's minds as they mark the religious holiday celebrating Jesus' resurrection for the first time since her death, especially because of the Queen's lifelong faith. She faithfully served as the ceremonial head of the Church of England since her accession to the throne in 1952 and regularly attended church services, turning to online worship in her later years when she couldn't go in person.
Queen Elizabeth missed last year's Easter outing amid her increasing mobility and health issues. However, she likely welcomed family members during the day as she spent the holiday at her apartments in Windsor Castle.
Charles and Camilla also stood in for Queen Elizabeth at the 2022 Royal Maundy Service, a pre-Easter tradition where a member of the royal family distributes specially-minted coins known as "Maundy money" to recognize people for their service to their communities.
Related:Royal Easter Through the Years — See the Queen, Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and More
On Thursday, King Charles and Queen Camilla attended the Royal Maundy Service at York Minster. In a nod to his age, the King presented 74 men and 74 women with Maundy money to thank them for their community contributions. Following tradition, beneficiaries received two purses. The white purse is filled with specially minted coins equivalent to King Charles' age of 74, while the red contains two commemorative coins, a tribute to the monarch's traditional gift of food and clothing. This year's commemorative coins mark King Charles' 75th birthday in November and the 75th anniversary of the Windrush Generation.
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Preparations are in full swing for King Charles and Queen Camilla's coronation on May 6. In addition to Buckingham Palace releasing the coronation invitation earlier this week, decorations are going up around London — including graphics of King Charles wearing a crown.
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