King Carlos III and his wife, Queen Camilla, along with several members of the British royal family, attended this Sunday, as is tradition, the annual Easter Sunday Matins service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. However, the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, were notably absent as they chose to conclude their Easter holiday with their three children - Prince George, Charlotte, and Louis - at their residence in Anmer Hall, Norfolk, the family's main retreat where they have spent a lot of time since the queen's daughter-in-law was diagnosed with cancer last year, from which she is fortunately recovering satisfactorily.
Accompanying Carlos and Camilla at the Easter service were family members such as Princess Anne, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Edward and Sophie.
One of the surprises was the reappearance of Prince Andrew, who joined the rest of the royal family at the Easter religious service. The king's disgraced brother was absent from the Christmas celebrations of the Firm, a decision made due to the recent scandals involving the former favorite son of Queen Elizabeth II. Andrew usually attends the Easter Matins service as it is considered a private family event rather than an official engagement.
This marks the British sovereign's reappearance after participating in the Royal Maundy last Thursday, an essential event for the British Monarchy during this time marked by tradition and faith. There was great anticipation to see Carlos III's demeanor as he has faced numerous criticisms for the Easter message he delivered to the nation on Thursday. As the head of the Church of England, he shared reflections with all citizens highlighting that "there are three virtues the world still needs: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love." While this seemed normal, some particularly conservative sectors were upset that he included other religions in the Easter message: "The love He [Jesus] showed when He walked the Earth reflected the Jewish ethic of caring for the stranger and the needy, a deep human instinct that resonates in Islam and other religious traditions, and in the hearts of all who seek the good of others."
Carlos III has shown a strong interest in interreligious dialogue and a desire to be a monarch "for all faiths," attempting to project an image of a bridge between cultures. However, reactions to his Easter Message on platforms like X were swift. Some citizens applauded the sovereign's "interreligious sensitivity." Yet, many others were deeply angered: "When he congratulates Ramadan, he doesn't mention Jesus Christ. Why does Islam now enter a Christian message?" protested one Twitter user, echoed by others with similar tweets. "Christianity is celebrated without complexes. Why do we always need to justify it with other religions?" added another user.
The most critical of Carlos III denounced what they consider his double standard, as in messages addressed to Muslim communities, for example during Ramadan, he made no mention of Christianity. Similarly, when congratulating the Jewish community on Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah, or when wishing the best to Hindu followers on some of their most important religious festivals.
Ultraconservative Christians scrutinize every gesture of the king in this regard, and they were very critical of him for participating with Queen Camilla in March in a day with volunteers packaging dates at an Indian restaurant in London for boxes destined for hospitals for iftar, the evening meal with which Muslims break their daily fast during their sacred month.
The attendance of the British monarchs alongside the Windsor family at the Easter Sunday Mass is one of the most deeply rooted traditions in the British Monarchy. In fact, such events are seen in all European royal families. The exception, for some years now, is in Spain. Here, King Felipe and Letizia no longer participate in any public Mass this Sunday, after deciding to stop attending the Palma Cathedral to take part in the Easter service. Although the decision was not made due to the controversy surrounding the infamous clash years ago between Queen Sofia and Queen Letizia, the issue did contribute to the Spanish royal family's attendance at the Balearic cathedral being surrounded by unwelcome attention in recent years.
Last year, King Carlos also did not miss the Easter Sunday service, despite being in recovery from his cancer diagnosis. Following medical advice, he and Queen Camilla sat separately from other attendees during the service to minimize the risk of infection, and they skipped the private family lunch after the Mass. However, their attendance at the religious service was well received by the British, who appreciated the efforts the monarch was making to resume his schedule as soon as possible and maintain control of the Crown.