Princess Charlotte gets a loving pat from her grandfather King Charles,
The King couldn’t have looked happier to see his grandchildren yesterday as he led a notably unified Royal Family for their traditional Easter Sunday service.
Charles, accompanied by Queen Camilla, sweetly patted a beaming Princess Charlotte on the shoulder as he made his way into church.
The main group, led by William and Kate – in a £360 cream Self Portrait tailored dress and Juliette Botterill hat, with Queen Elizabeth’s ‘Bahrain’ pearl earrings and a brown Demellier London bag – walked down from Windsor Castle on foot to St George’s Chapel.
Charlotte, ten, in a camel-coloured coat with brown velvet cuffs and collar, waved excitedly to well-wishers as her brother Prince Louis, seven, walked proudly alongside her.
Future king Prince George, 12, appeared to have had another growth spurt – and not only towered over his siblings but seemed to be quickly catching up with his mother.
Finally, the King and Queen were driven down to the chapel in the State Bentley, Camilla regal in a red wool crepe dress and coat by Fiona Clare, hat by Philip Treacy and a Queen Elizabeth II brooch.
The King beamed broadly as he saw his family, clearly delighted at the turnout.
Also present were Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, as well as the Duke of Edinburgh and his son James, Earl of Wessex, 18.
The Duchess of Edinburgh was, apparently, ‘under the weather’ and their daughter, Lady Louise, busy studying. In addition Peter Phillips had brought along not only his fiancee, Harriet Sperling, but also her daughter, Georgina, 13, for the first time.
The couple, both of whom have been married previously, are due to wed in June. Georgina was flanked by her two stepsisters-to-be, Savannah Phillips, 15, and Isla Phillips, 14.
Princess Margaret’s daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto, and her husband, Daniel, made up the family group.
Notable by their absence at the Easter Matins service were Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
With Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor banned from public family occasions and currently being investigated by police over allegations of misconduct in public office, his daughters had made alternative plans this year with the agreement of the King.
Sources have maintained they will join the Royal Family on future occasions, but in the current circumstances it was decided that they would stay away this Easter.
After the hour-long service, and a cup of tea with the Dean of Windsor, the Right Reverend Christopher Cocksworth, Charles and Camilla embarked on a shorter than normal walkabout given the unseasonably cold and blustery weather.
Among the onlookers was Frank Gates, seven, from Egremont in Cumbria, who was smartly dressed in the uniform of the Coldstream Guards and proudly saluted his Colonel-in-Chief – the King.
Before their arrival he said: ‘I really want to be in the Coldstream Guards when I am older.’ Asked why, he said sweetly: ‘Because they are second to none.’
Royal ‘superfan’ John Loughrey, from south London, said afterwards that His Majesty had spotted their flags: ‘He said he had seen our flags and wished us happy Easter.’
As the car drew away, the other members of the royal party came up the steps, led by the Waleses, who all – children included – waved happily to well-wishers wishing them ‘Happy Easter’.
As they walked back up the hill to the castle, Kate placed her arm around Charlotte’s shoulders and squeezed them in a display of maternal pride.
As perhaps was intended, the focus was very much back on the royals who were there, not the ones who were not.
