Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Reportedly Chose Not to Attend the Royal Family's Annual Easter Service

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were notably absent from the Royal Family's annual Easter service on Sunday. Senior royals, including King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, gathered at St George's Chapel in Windsor for one of the monarchy's most traditional church appearances.

Their absence quickly stood out because the Easter Matins service remains one of the most visible family fixtures in the royal calendar.

The sisters had attended last year's Easter gathering alongside their parents, Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. This year, however, neither Beatrice nor Eugenie joined the wider family, and Reuters reported ahead of the service that the decision had been their own rather than one made by the King.

That distinction matters in royal terms because it suggests this was less about formal exclusion and more about the optics of the mood around Windsor right now.

The Royal Family's Easter Service

The Easter service itself was otherwise a fairly classic royal turnout. King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at St George's Chapel and were greeted by the Dean of Windsor, Christopher Cocksworth, before joining other members of the family for worship.

Prince William and Catherine were there with their three children, while Princess Anne and Prince Edward also attended. After the service, Charles and Camilla stopped to wish members of the public a 'Happy Easter', with Camilla receiving flowers from the crowd.

That made the York sisters' absence all the more noticeable.

They are not working royals in the same way as the Prince and Princess of Wales, but they have continued to appear at selected family events, especially church services and major public occasions. Both sisters were present at the family's Christmas Day church service in December, even though their father did not attend.

So this was not simply a case of Beatrice and Eugenie stepping back from the family altogether. If anything, it looked more like a selective absence at a moment when every seating plan, every chapel walk, and every public photograph involving the York side of the family is bound to be read for meaning.

Andrew and Family Stay Away from Public

Much of the focus inevitably falls back on Andrew, who was also absent from Sunday's service after appearing last year.

The disgraced royal member was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, deepening a crisis that has already left him largely removed from royal public life.

Even before that latest development, Andrew's standing within the monarchy had become politically and institutionally toxic. He has long remained a deeply awkward presence for the Palace because of his association with Jeffrey Epstein and the lasting reputational fallout that followed. He has denied wrongdoing and previously reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre in 2022 without admitting liability.

Last year, King Charles had stripped Andrew of his remaining titles and pushed him further out of public royal life in an effort to protect the institution.

That leaves Beatrice and Eugenie in an uncomfortable and often unfair position. They are, by most accounts, among the more personally well-liked younger royals, yet they continue to carry the burden of proximity to a scandal they did not create.

The Sisters Will Be Back in the Spotlight Soon

Charles' Easter appearance also came at a busy moment for the monarchy. Just a few days before Sunday's service, he and Queen Camilla travelled to North Wales for the Royal Maundy Service, one of the key events in the Church calendar and an important part of his role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Buckingham Palace has also said the King and Queen are due to travel to the United States later this month for a state visit.

With that in mind, the Palace was likely keen for Easter to project calm and stability. And, in many ways, it did. The service put the focus firmly on the King, Prince William, and Princess Kate, along with the core group of working royals who continue to represent the monarchy in public.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie's absence may ultimately turn out to be nothing more than a one-off. A royal source said their decision to miss the service does not mean they will be absent from future family events.