Charles III will take part in the service. Changes the Easter custom
King Charles III will take part in Sunday's service. However, he will sit away from other members of the royal family. Here's why.
During the first day of Easter, during the service which will take place in the chapel of St. George at Windsor Castle, the British monarch will appear alongside his wife, Queen Camila. However, as “The Telegraph” reports – he will not take a seat near other members of the royal family – he will “sit separately”.
The monarch did not appear at Worcester Cathedral on Thursday
At the beginning of February, Buckingham Palace announced that the king was suffering from “a form of cancer”, but no details were given. What is known is that the disease was detected during treatment of the monarch's enlarged prostate.
Charles III soon underwent treatment. In the meantime, he appeared at Buckingham Palace several times, including: to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Despite this, the monarch does not always decide to fulfill his duties. On Maundy Thursday, his absence was noted at the service at Worcester Cathedral.
In a conversation with Plotek, expert Iwona Kenzler, author of books about the royal family, said that this fact should not surprise anyone. She pointed out that, according to tradition, on this day the monarch usually agrees to certain forms of interaction with people who visit the cathedral. Meanwhile, the king is very weak due to the disease, and the treatment he underwent, which may be related to the chemotherapy he received, means that his immunity may be weakened.
This means that any contact with people carries the risk of catching an infection. In this situation, it seems clear why the king – who will appear in public for the first time since the diagnosis of the disease – will take places away from the royal family. According to the Daily Mail, this is how he wants to protect his health. Ultimately, however, since the monarch's medical team agreed to his participation in the service, it means that he is feeling better and is most likely returning to full strength.
According to “The Telegraph” sources, Charles III's visit to the chapel of St. George means that “Things are heading in the right direction.”
Duchess Kate will not take part in the celebrations at Windsor Castle
The British daily also reports that Duchess Kate and Prince William will not appear in the chapel of St. George at Sunday service.