Buckingham Palace confirms return date for King and Queen after they leave England on Maundy Thursday

Dorothy Reddin
Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:20:42 +0000

Buckingham Palace has confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla will return to England for the Easter Sunday church service, after celebrating Maundy Thursday in Wales.

The King, 77, and Queen, 78, accompanied by other members of the Royal Family, will attend the Easter Matins Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, on Easter Sunday.

Their Majesties are expected to be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne, Sir Tim Laurence, and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

However, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice have made alternative plans for Easter, GB News understands.

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King Charles is thought to support his nieces' decision to spend Easter Sunday away from the Royal Family.

The York Princesses previously joined the King and Queen at Sandringham for Christmas in 2025, accompanied by their respective husbands.

The news that King Charles and Queen Camilla will attend the Easter Sunday service in Windsor comes after Buckingham Palace confirmed that Their Majesties will leave England for Maundy Thursday.

The King and Queen are set to visit St Asaph Cathedral in north Wales on Thursday, April 2 for the Royal Maundy Service, marking a historic return of the ceremony to Wales for the first time in over four decades.

The occasion represents only the second time in the event's long history that Wales has hosted the Royal Maundy, with the previous Welsh service taking place in 1982.

The last time a royal service on Maundy Thursday was held outside of England was in 2008 at St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh, Northern Ireland.

During the traditional Maundy Thursday ceremony, His Majesty will distribute gifts to approximately 77 men and 77 women selected for their exceptional Christian service and positive contributions to their local communities.

Each recipient will receive two purses containing unique Maundy Money specially produced for the occasion.

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The white purse will hold silver Maundy coins totalling 77 pennies, a figure corresponding to the King's age.

The red purse will contain two commemorative coins: a £5 piece marking the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II's birth, and a 50p coin celebrating five decades of The King's Trust.

St Asaph Cathedral holds the distinction of being Britain's smallest ancient cathedral, with the present structure dating back to the 14th century.

Known in Welsh as Llanelwy, meaning the sacred religious enclosure on the banks of the River Elwy, the site has maintained daily worship for 1,450 years.

The cathedral played a crucial role in preserving the Welsh language, housing an original copy of the William Morgan Bible from 1588.

Mr Morgan himself later became Bishop of St Asaph in 1601.

Today, the cathedral serves as one of North Wales's principal heritage attractions, welcoming thousands of visitors annually for services, concerts and festivals.

The Royal Maundy tradition traces its origins to the thirteenth century, with King John conducting the first recorded royal distribution at Knaresborough in North Yorkshire in 1210.

The Bishop of Norwich, serving as Lord High Almoner, will assist the King in presenting the gifts.

This year's service will feature music specially commissioned from Welsh composers and musicians to mark the ceremony's return to Wales.

The processional Cross of Wales will be used during the service, a gift from the King to Welsh Christians that led the procession at the Coronation in Westminster Abbey in 2023.

The cross contains a fragment believed to be from the True Cross, presented to the King by Pope Francis.