King Charles III helped lead the royal family’s Easter church service on Sunday, marking his first major public appearance since being diagnosed with cancer.
The 75-year-old British monarch, who is undergoing cancer treatment, stepped out at Windsor Castle with wife Queen Camilla, 76, over the weekend.
The couple waved to the crowd outside St. George’s Chapel before greeting the church clergy ahead of the annual Easter Mattins Service.
The king is expected to buck tradition this year by not attending a reception nor hosting a private family lunch after the service, on orders from his doctors.
However, all of Charles’ siblings were present at the service, including disgraced royal Prince Andrew and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, along with Princess Anne and Prince Edward.
Noticeably absent were Kate Middleton, Prince William and their three children – Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, 8, and Prince Louis, 5 – who did not attend following the Princess of Wales’ announcement that she’s also battling cancer.
The family of five is expected to enjoy a private Easter celebration at their Anmer Hall residence in Norfolk.
It comes one week after Middleton, 42, confirmed her diagnosis and revealed she’s undergoing “preventative chemotherapy.”
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“I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal, in my mind, body and spirits,” she assured fans, noting the cancer was discovered after a planned abdominal surgery in January.
Charles, for his part, announced his cancer diagnosis in February, after he underwent surgery for an enlarged prostate.
He and his daughter-in-law reportedly met for a private lunch to discuss their “common health experience” before she issued a lengthy statement about her diagnosis, sources told People.
The monarch also showed his support for her publicly, telling Page Six in a statement, via a Buckingham Palace spokesperson, that he is “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did.”
The spokesperson reiterated that Charles has “remained in the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law throughout the past weeks.”