King Charles made his first major public appearance on Easter Sunday since cancer diagnosis

King Charles, the ruler of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms, recently made his initial significant public appearance following the revelation of his cancer diagnosis in February.

The 75-year-old attended the traditional Easter Mattins church service at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor on Sunday, March 31, 2024. Accompanied by his wife, Queen Camilla, the pair joyfully waved to a crowd of supporters at the event.

Despite the celebrations for Easter on Sunday, Kate Middleton, Prince William, and their three children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5, were noticeably not in attendance. The family has been laying low since the Princess of Wales shared her news of battling cancer.

King Charles Makes First Public Appearance Since Cancer Diagnosis at Easter Church Service

King Charles and his wife Camilla attended the Easter Mattins church service at St. George’s Chapel, located on the grounds of Windsor Castle. This 14th-century building is approximately an hour’s drive from London.

The castle is the customary gathering place for the extended royal family before they make their way to the church. The Windsor staff eagerly await their arrival, observing from either a grassy bank nearby or their own doorsteps. While the Prince and Princess of Wales were absent from the ceremony, the monarch’s siblings were in attendance.

Prince Edward and Sophie, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, along with their son, James, Earl of Wessex, were present at the Easter celebrations. Shortly after, Princess Anne, the King’s sister, arrived at the castle with her husband, Tim Laurence, and greeted the crowds outside. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, were also among the attendees.

Despite his cancer diagnosis, King Charles is expected to deviate from tradition this year. Following orders from his medical team, he did not attend a reception or host a private family lunch after the service. Additionally, he and his partner sat separately from the rest of the main congregation during the one-hour service.

As the Queen received a bouquet of beautiful white and yellow flowers from a young boy, King Charles and Camilla emerged from the church and greeted the well-wishers. The couple pleasantly surprised the public by venturing closer to them for a walkabout. Charles seemed relaxed and engaged, pausing occasionally to converse with individuals and exchange handshakes.

According to Buckingham Palace, in early February it was announced that King Charles had been diagnosed with a type of cancer following a medical procedure to address an enlarged prostate. Despite temporarily pausing public engagements due to his health, the monarch made his first major appearance during Easter, which was met with encouragement from numerous royal watchers.

Despite being diagnosed, King Charles has remained active and engaged in his duties. He continues to oversee state affairs and handle official paperwork through his daily red boxes from the UK government. The Palace also revealed that he maintains a diary of private audiences and regularly meets with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on a weekly basis.

According to reports, the King reportedly had a private lunch with Kate Middleton to discuss their shared experience with health issues. This meeting took place before Middleton publicly announced her cancer diagnosis. The palace released a brief statement on behalf of Charles and Camilla to convey their thoughts and well wishes for the Princess of Wales, which stated,

“His Majesty is so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did following their time in hospital together. The King has remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks. Both Their Majesties will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time.”

At the moment, Kate Middleton is undergoing “preventative chemotherapy”while her family of five plans to have a secluded Easter celebration at their Anmer Hall home in Norfolk.