Royal Easter Roll Call: Who Was In, Who Was Out, and Why Kate’s Dress Started a Debate

0:00 Ah Calorougus Shark Media, Hi, and welcome to Palace Intriega. I am your host, Mark Francis checking in on the Easter scorecard. King Charles and Queen Camella were joined by a slimmer carefully chosen royal lineup at the Easter Sunday service in Windsor, with the biggest takeaway being not who turned up, but who did not. The King and Queen attended the service at Saint George's Chapel alongside Prince William and Catherine, Princess Wales, who returned to the traditional Easter gathering for the first time in two years. They brought Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, giving the event a very clear Wales family center of gravity. Also present were Princess Anne and Sir Tim Lawrence, along with Prince Edward and members of his family. Notably absent were Andrew mount Batton Windsor, Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, all of whom attended last year. It is being said that Beatrice and Eugenie made alternative plans for Easter, but their absence will only fuel the sense that the public royal circle is being drawn more tightly. The service itself was traditional and low drama, the King ARAIV smiling and waving.

1:11 The Queen later described it simply as good, and Charlotte was seen waving to crowds as the Wales family walked in. What the pictures really showed, though, was the shape of the monarchy as it wants to be seen right now, Charles and Camilla at the top, William and Catherine firmly central, the children visible and reliable as ever, and everyone else increasingly optional. One other absence at Easter quietly stood out, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. Reports say she was simply under the weather, which is plausible enough, but it is notable because this now makes three major royal events in a row she has missed. She was also absent from Commonwealth Day, and Edward attended the Nigerian State banquet without her as well.

1:53 Case return to Easter Sunday service was widely praised, but it also sparked an unexpectedly specific day bait online the length of her dress. The Princess Wales attended the Eastern Mountain Service at Saint George's Chapelain Winds are wearing a cream self portrait dress with a matching hat, tan hills and a coordinating handbag. It was a polished, very Catherine's sort of look, and for many royal watchers are welcome return after she missed the service for the past two years. Still not everyone was sold on the silhouette. A number of commenters focused on the hemline, arguing that the midy length sat too low and aged the overall look. One Instagram user wrote, all nice and pretty, but her hems are always too long for my personal taste. Ten centimeters less would look much better on her figure. Moreover, she's young and good looking. Another agreed, writing I agree lately her hems are always too long. Pity even Queen Camella wears shorter hems than her. Others made the point more practically, with one commenter saying I'm her height, they are too long proportion, and another wrote I agree with all her hemlanes need to come up just a bit. I like Middy on Herbert weakening too close to the ankles. She is dressed too old for her age. A rarely seen member of the royal family drew attention at the Easter Sunday, with James, Earl of Wessex, making one of his few public appearances alongside senior royals. The eighteen year old, who was the son of Edward and Sophie, attended the Eastern Maintenance service at Saint George's Chapel, wearing a navy suit

3:24 and red tie, keeping a notably low profile as he arrived. James is not often seen at major royal events, so his appearance prompted some confusion online, particularly among casual royal watchers who did not immediately recognize him. His older sister, Lady Louise Windsor, was not present, reportedly because she is at university. His appearance has also renewed interest in a long running royal question whether James will eventually use the title of Prince in the style of his Royal Highness under the rules set by Queen Elizabeth. As a male lion grandchild of the Monarch, he became entitled to that styling once he turned eighteen. However, his parents have long chosen a more low key path for their children, and it is widely expected that James will continue to be known simply as the Earl of Wessex. That approach would mirror his sister Lady Louise, who has also not taken up the HRH style she is entitled to use. King Charles is facing criticism after deciding not to issue a personal Easter message this year, a move that has prompted debate given his role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England Buckingham. Pallas's position is that an Eastern message is not a formal annual requirement in the same way as the monarch's Christmas broadcast. Queen Elizabeth only issued one Eastern message during the pandemic, and there is no long standing rule that the sovereign must deliver one every year.

4:47 Even so, the decision has raised eyebrows. The reaction appears to stem less from the absence of a message on its own, and more from the wider context. The royal family had publicly acknowledged Ramadan and e earlier in the year, so for some observers the lack of direct Easter statement from the King has looked at the very least like a misstep. It is also notable because Easter carr's particular significance for the British monarch, who is not only head of state, but also the ceremonial head of the Church of England that inevitably brings added scrutiny when major moments in the Christian calendar are handled quietly. Lady Colin Campbell said she had received what she described as a multitude of complaints about the decision and urged the King to respond to public concern. She warned that failing to do so could prove irreversibly damaging, adding I hope he will begin listening to the complaints of his subjects and not fall prey to the error which his first cousins three times removed saw Nicholas the Second and Serena Alexandra made in the months before February nineteen seventeen. Had Nicholas and Alexandra simply listened to the valid concerns of their subjects, rather than ignoring them in the mistaken belief that they were too trivial to warrant attention, all that happened after February nineteen seventeen might well have been averted. The royal family did mark Easter publicly in other ways. The official family social media accounts shared an Easter greeting more Palace in just a moment celebrity photographer Megan Mikels shared an

6:18 Easter glimpse of Archie and Lilibet. In clips shared to Instagram, the Sussex family is seen taking part in Easter activities, including an egg hunt, decorating eggs, and feeding chickens. One video showed Princess Lilibet walking through the garden in bunny ears while holding a toy rabbit, while Prince Archie is shown the decorating Easter eggs. Megan also appears in the footage, including one moment inside a chicken coop searching for eggs, alongside the simple caption happy Easter. As usual, the children's faces were not shown. Megan michael has also shared a new family video showing Harry skiing with Archie. The clip posted to Megan's Instagram shows six year old Archie on a snowy slope, following behind his father in ski gear.

6:58 Meghan captioned it they boys quick learner Archie so proud heart Emergie. While many praise the family moment, others were more critical, particularly in light of ongoing headlines surrounding Prince Harry. One commenter wrote, quick, let's use the children to distract the public. From Harry lying and caught and being in bed with the press. Another added this flirting with griff and creepy movie snuggles debucle is so effing messy. Mm is literally spiraling a third joke. Please everybody stop looking at the flirty text message h had with a journalist with movie snuggles now in court record. Meghan is said to be fuming over the release of the messages and deeply unhappy that his more playful, flirtatious side of Harry is now being picked apart in public. One source claimed this has led to Harry picking up the nickname Flirty Harry because of the tone of those messages, and Meghan markelers fuming that all of this is now doing the rounds.

7:53 Megan Fields of this embarrassing and frustrating, especially given how hard they have worked to control their narrative and now these old comments stations are being picked apart publicly. The fact that the messages come across as so playful and familiar has left Megan particularly unhappy that this side of Harry is being highlighted in such a public way. Meanwhile, Harry has popped up in a new celebrity adjacent ski photo this time alongside former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Olympic star Aileen Goo. The image was shared by Goo on Instagram as part of a photocarrasel from a recent ski getaway. One of the standout shots show Goo seated between Harry and Trudeau on the ski lift, all three bundled up in winter gear and smiling for the camera.

8:37 Harry and Trudeau have known each other for years, and Trudeau was publicly supportive of Harry during the Invictus Games in Canada in early twenty twenty five. So while the image may have raised eyebrows online, it appears to be more old friends on a ski trip than anything especially dramatic, and they have it. If you'd like to email us addresses the palasintrig at gmail dot com. Please follow us on your Face of It podcast app O Mark Francis Thanks to John McDermot. This is Palace Intrigue and good terms. M