Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton reportedly opted for a quiet Easter celebration.
The couple were noticeably absent from the royal family’s Easter outing on Sunday, April 20, but according to Hello! Magazine, William, 42, and Kate, 43, spent the holiday with her side of the family. The pair were spotted at a Sunday morning church service in Sandringham, which is near their country home Anmer Hall.
William and Kate had their three kids — Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 7 — in tow while celebrating the holiday. Carole and Michael Middleton were also in attendance, the report revealed. An eyewitness told the publication that William, Kate and their family left the church service through a back entrance, bypassing a group of royal watchers outside.
Us Weekly has reached out to Kensington Palace for comment.
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King Charles III and Queen Camilla, meanwhile, kept their annual Easter tradition on Sunday at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. Princess Anne and husband Sir Tim Laurence were also in attendance for the royal service, along with Prince Edward, his wife, Duchess Sophie, and their son, James, Earl of Wessex. Prince Andrew was spotted with his daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who were photographed with their respective husbands, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank.
William and Kate’s absence from the Easter service made headlines earlier this month as news broke that they planned to keep the holiday to immediate family only. U.K. outlet The Mirror reported on Thursday, April 17, that the couple wanted to spend time with their kids before school started up again.
“This is a big deal,” a source told Us Weekly exclusively about William and Kate’s decision to skip out. “It’s royal tradition for the family to attend this together.”
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Sunday marked the second year that William and Kate declined to join the family’s Easter services. Last year’s absence came shortly after Kate went public with her cancer diagnosis. (Charles was also diagnosed with cancer last year. While Kate recently announced that she is in remission, the king is continuing to undergo treatment.)
“Everyone understood the family not attending last year when Kate was sick but there’s been a lot of raised eyebrows at the palace about William’s decision to skip again this year,” the insider added. “It feels like a deliberate move and even a snub.”
