Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, 61, Ignited Buzz by Skipping Easter Service at Windsor While Prince Edward and Son James, 18, Attended – Photos and Details

She rarely misses a moment like this — and yet on one of the most traditional mornings in the royal calendar, the Duchess of Edinburgh was conspicuously absent. The rest of the family showed up in full, and the photos are waiting for you at the end of this article.

When the royal family gathered at Windsor Castle on Easter Sunday, one familiar and warmly regarded face was missing from the procession to St George's Chapel.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla led the arrivals on 5 April 2026, with Easter Matins at St George's Chapel being one of the most traditional occasions in the royal calendar.

Yet it was the Duchess of Edinburgh's absence that set royal watchers talking, not least because she is widely regarded as one of the most reliable presences at official engagements.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, 60, was absent from the Easter Matins service having reportedly pulled out after feeling under the weather.

Her husband, Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, made the walk down to the chapel alongside their teenage son, James, Earl of Wessex, but the Duchess was nowhere to be seen.

It was not the first time in recent weeks that the Duchess had been away from a significant event. She also missed the state banquet at Windsor Castle on 18 March, held in honour of the President and First Lady of Nigeria.

Her most recent confirmed public appearance before Easter was at a charity gala in London on 23 March, where she was accompanied by Lady Helen Taylor and close friend Lady Penny Mountbatten.

Her daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, 22, was also absent from the service. Lady Louise is reportedly in the midst of her final year of an English Literature degree at the University of St Andrews, occupied with her studies.

It is not difficult to understand why the Duchess's absence drew such immediate attention. Since marrying Prince Edward in 1999, the Duchess has earned a reputation as one of the most trusted and industrious royals, having been a steadfast support to both King Charles III and his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, with whom she shared a particularly warm and close bond.

She has been described as the late Queen Elizabeth II's favourite daughter-in-law and a savvy peacemaker, someone quietly capable of smoothing over tensions within the Firm.

As the royal family navigated considerable change in recent years, with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor stepping back from public duties and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex departing for life abroad, the Duchess of Edinburgh took on an increasingly prominent public role.

There are also reports that she will assume an even greater role when her nephew, Prince William, eventually accedes to the throne.

Thus, the response to her absence from royal fans was immediate and warm. "Wishing the Duchess of Edinburgh a speedy recovery," one person wrote.

Another added, "She is a gift to the Royal family. Get well soon with blessings," while a third kept it brief and affectionate, commenting, "Speedy recovery Sophie x."

Not everyone was prepared to leave it at that, though. "What's wrong with Sophie?" one fan asked plainly, while another shared, "Missed her today. She is usually present on these occasions. I don't think Lady Louise was there either. Two lovely ladies."

However, for some, the double absence felt like more than coincidence, with one person typing, "Mm definitely something going on."

For now, the Duchess of Edinburgh's many admirers will no doubt be keeping a close eye on her next public appearance. In the meantime, the Easter photographs from St George's Chapel speak for themselves — scroll down to see the royal family's Windsor gathering below.

Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, cuts a composed figure outside St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on 5 April 2026, dressed in a navy double-breasted overcoat and a pink floral tie, a white pocket square folded neatly at his breast. He made the walk down to the chapel alongside his son, James, Earl of Wessex, as the royal family gathered for one of the most traditional services in the annual calendar.

Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, smiles as he makes his way through the Windsor Castle grounds on 5 April 2026, his son, James, Earl of Wessex, at his left shoulder. The teenager, dressed in a dark coat and a red patterned tie, walks with his hands in his pockets and his gaze cast downward — every inch the young royal finding his feet at a major family occasion.

Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, walks alongside his sister Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, as the family makes its way to St George's Chapel on 5 April 2026. Princess Anne is dressed in a teal wool coat and a matching feathered hat, a gold brooch pinned at her lapel, while James, Earl of Wessex, keeps pace just to his father's left.

The Wales family makes its way along the Windsor Castle walkway, with Princess Charlotte glancing in the direction of the Princess of Wales. William, Prince of Wales, strides alongside Prince Louis and Prince George, while Sir Timothy Laurence walks behind the group and Anne, the Princess Royal, is visible in her teal coat on the far left.

And while the Duchess of Edinburgh's absence was the story that had royal fans talking, there was plenty more unfolding on the Windsor Castle walkway that morning.

Something was very different about the Easter Sunday gathering at Windsor this year — the Wales family was back after a two-year absence, the crowds were cheering, and within hours, the photos of their chapel walk had royal watchers doing a double take.

The Prince and Princess of Wales joined King Charles III and Queen Camilla at St George's Chapel, Windsor, for the traditional Easter Sunday service.

The family had not attended in two years, having spent last Easter on a family holiday in Norfolk, and having missed the year prior in the weeks following the Princess of Wales's cancer diagnosis.

And so, their return was something of an occasion, and the Princess of Wales, 44, dressed accordingly. She stepped out in a cream Self Portrait ensemble comprising a tailored blazer adorned with lace appliqués, a belted waist, and a calf-length skirt.

A matching teardrop-shaped hat, decorated with leaf appliqués by London-based milliner Juliette Botterill, a long-standing favourite of the Princess, completed the monochromatic look.

Princess Kate added Ralph Lauren pumps, a cross pendant necklace, pearl drop earrings that were once a wedding gift to the late Queen Elizabeth II from the Hakim of Bahrain for her 1947 wedding, and a small toffee-coloured purse from London designer DeMellier.

It was a departure from her usual Easter formula, and royal watchers certainly took notice. As for the rest of the Wales family, Princess Charlotte, 10, led the group confidently towards the chapel, waving to the onlookers gathered behind barriers along the way.

Prince Louis, 7, walked alongside the Prince of Wales, and just behind them was a sight that had rather a lot of people reaching for their reading glasses.

Prince George, now 12, is no longer the little boy anyone remembers. The photos from the day show him standing almost level with his mother, and given that the Princess of Wales was in heels, the numbers add up even more impressively.

The internet, as ever, had quite a lot to say. One fan wrote, "I [can't] believe the size of George," while another offered a rather precise assessment, noting, "Prince George is almost as tall as his mother. Actually she's wearing heels so he is as tall as her. Louis is shooting up as well."

A third commented warmly, "My goodness, George has suddenly shot up in height. Lovely to see them all here, a credit to the Royal Family."

Princess Charlotte's poised walk at the front of the family group caught its share of attention, too. "I like the way they let Charlotte lead them all. Echoes of the late Queen Elizabeth here," one observer shared.

Not everyone was entirely at ease with what the Wales children were wearing on a brisk April morning, however. "Please dress your children for the occasion that the weather is giving us," one commenter wrote plainly.

Another made the same point with rather more feeling, typing, "Why not dress appropriate for the weather, Charlotte looks frozen little shoes on no socks or tights an the Victorian coat, Wats wrong with cosy boots and warm coat [sic]?"

The Princess of Wales's ensemble, meanwhile, drew one dissenting voice. "...but why they dress Catherine in old mode? She is a young girl [sic]," one commenter added, apparently unmoved by the Princess's first Easter appearance in two years.

One dissenting voice or not, the Wales family's return to the Easter Sunday service was, by any measure, a moment worth capturing.

Scroll through the photos below to see the Princess of Wales's cream ensemble up close, Princess Charlotte's confident wave, and, of course, Prince George standing precisely where no one quite expected him to be yet.

Walking hand in hand towards St George's Chapel on 5 April 2026, the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte make their way into the Easter Matins Service at Windsor. Seen from behind, the full detail of the Princess of Wales's cream Self Portrait ensemble comes into view. Princess Charlotte, in her camel coat with brown velvet trim, her hair swept back in a plaited braid, keeps pace alongside her mother.

From the front now, this photo captures precisely what royal watchers had been marvelling at online. Princess Charlotte waves cheerfully to the crowds gathered at Windsor, a pale blue pleated dress peeking out beneath her camel and brown velvet-trimmed coat, while the Princess of Wales walks alongside her, the intricate lace appliqués of her Self Portrait blazer and the Juliette Botterill leaf-adorned hat visible in full.

Prince Louis, 7, gives the crowds his own enthusiastic wave as he walks alongside the Princess of Wales towards St George's Chapel. Dressed in a smart navy suit with a pale blue shirt, he cuts a wonderfully earnest figure beside his mother, who smiles in profile. One fan had noted that Prince Louis was "shooting up" in height too, and this photo makes a rather convincing case.

The Princess of Wales waves to the waiting crowds at Windsor, with Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis close beside her. Princess Charlotte, hair loose and windswept, catches the moment with a quiet sideways smile, while Prince Louis, head bowed in his navy suit and pale blue tie, appears entirely unbothered by the assembled well-wishers.

Outside St George's Chapel, the Princess of Wales leans down toward Prince Louis, 7, in a quiet moment between the two, while the Prince of Wales stands just behind them in his navy suit and pale blue tie. The full length of the Princess of Wales's cream ensemble is visible here, from the structured blazer and calf-length skirt to her Ralph Lauren pumps and toffee-coloured DeMellier bag, held loosely at her side.

A close-up that rather settles the debate. Prince George, 12, stands shoulder to shoulder with the Princess of Wales, his wind-tousled hair and serious expression giving him every bit the air of a young man who has no idea quite how much the internet is about to discuss him. He really is almost as tall as his mother — and she is in heels.

The whole Wales family in step at Windsor, and the photo that explains everything. Princess Charlotte strides out to the left in her camel coat while the Princess of Wales walks at the centre. And then there is Prince George, 12, standing head and shoulders above Prince Louis and drawing level with his mother, the Prince of Wales visible just behind them both.

A purposeful stride along the Windsor Castle grounds, and arguably the clearest view of the Princess of Wales's full monochromatic look from collar to heel. The structured lace appliqué blazer and the Ralph Lauren pumps all come together in one unbroken sweep of cream. Prince George trails just behind her to the right, and even at this angle and distance, the height comparison speaks entirely for itself.

A close-up of the toffee-coloured DeMellier bag the Princess of Wales carried throughout the Easter Sunday service, its structured silhouette, curved top handle, and bold gold clasp visible in sharp detail against the cream of her skirt. The "DeMellier" branding is faintly stamped along the front flap — a small but considered touch from the London-based designer.

The full Wales family together in one frame as they make their way towards St George's Chapel on Easter Sunday, each of the five caught mid-stride in the April light. Princess Charlotte waves to the crowds on the left while Prince Louis walks between his parents, and Prince George, already towering above his younger brother, is visible just behind the Princess of Wales.

A slightly more frontal angle of the same walk, and the one that perhaps makes the height comparison most apparent of all. Prince George stands almost level with the Princess of Wales, his pale blue tie matching those of his father and brother, while Prince Louis looks directly at the camera with considerable composure for a seven-year-old.

Shot in profile along the sun-drenched exterior of St George's Chapel, this image shows the Wales family in full stride, the Prince of Wales leading the group with Prince Louis tucked close beside him. Princess Charlotte waves cheerfully to onlookers on the left, her blue pleated dress lifting in the breeze beneath her camel coat, while Prince George and the Princess of Wales follow just behind.

The family stepping up towards the chapel entrance, the ornate stone crown carved into the pillar above them. Princess Charlotte laughs as she walks on the left, Prince Louis and the Prince of Wales stride ahead in the centre, and Prince George walks alongside the Princess of Wales just behind them, the lace appliqué detail of her blazer catching the bright morning light.