Each year, the British royal family gather together to celebrate Easter.
This year will be no different with many members of the royal family joining King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle for the traditional Easter service and sit-down lunch.
Scroll on to find out everything you need to know about the British royal family’s 2026 Easter service.
Where is the royal family’s 2026 Easter service being held?
Earlier this week, it was announced that King Charles and Queen Camilla will attend the Easter Matins Service at St. George’s Chapel within the grounds of Windsor Castle on Easter Sunday, as is the tradition.
They will likely be accompanied by other members of the royal family including the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children, the Princess Royal and her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and their children, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex.
Prince Louis of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend the traditional Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on April 9, 2023 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Will Princess Beatrice and Eugenie attend the royal family’s Easter service?
It’s been reported that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will not be attending the Easter service at St. George’s Chapel this year.
The daughters of ousted royals Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson have reportedly made “alternative plans” for the day. The Palace and the sisters reportedly made the decision together that they should not attend what is one of the most significant events in the royal calendar.
The news comes after an insider revealed the sisters will also not be attending Royal Ascot in June either.
“I’ve spoken to my friend who works at Ascot, and they said the girls have been told they can’t be there this year,” an insider told the Daily Mail. “Beatrice has taken it the hardest. She’s been completely blindsided by all of this.”
Another report in Hello! claimed the sisters have been invited but may be hesitant to attend such a large public event, given the intense public and media scrutiny surrounding their parents at the moment.
“The question is, would they want to go to a public event of that nature?” an alleged friend told the publication “They will get criticism whether they go or not – and not just that event. They just can’t win. Bea has found the scrutiny very hard, especially the strain of the past few weeks. It has felt as though things have been in free-fall, and she’s being hammered and bullied by commentators.
WINDSOR, UNITED KINGDOM – MARCH 27: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 48 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attend the traditional Easter Sunday church service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on March 27, 2016 in Windsor, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“Bea is keeping calm and carrying on. She learnt a lot from her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. This is a family in turmoil, but Bea is working hard; the juggle of full-time work and being a parent is her main priority, in order to keep herself mentally strong and her life moving.”
What happens at the royal family’s Easter?
After the service at St. George’s Chapel, the royal family usually enjoy Easter lunch, and perhaps an Easter egg hunt, at Windsor Castle.
Former royal chef Darren McGrady told OK! magazine in 2020 that roast lamb was usually on the menu for lunch.
“We’d go straight into the main course – a traditional roast lamb with seasonal vegetables,” he revealed at the time.
“They’d also have a compound salad served in a kidney dish attached to the plate – just some lettuce and cucumber with a little mint or some grated carrot and coriander.
“Afterwards, there is usually a cheese and fruit course, which will include Windsor Cheese made at the nearby Windsor Dairy.”
The late Queen Elizabeth was a huge fan of dark chocolate, with Darren revealing the former monarch would give it up for lent and then enjoy a treat of Bendicks Bittermints after lunch.
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