Royal family leads Easter celebrations with church service in UK
The procession was seen as a major show of strength by the royals as they waved to the crowds gathered to greet the 77-year-old monarch
Britain's King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, were joined by senior members of the royal family for the annual Easter Sunday church service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
With the King's scandal-hit younger brother Andrew and his family missing from the line-up, the procession was seen as a major show of strength by the royals as they waved to the crowds gathered to greet the 77-year-old monarch.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, were accompanied by their three children —Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte.
Britain's Princess Charlotte, Kate, the Princess of Wales, Prince George, Prince Louis, William, the Prince of Wales, and Prince Edward arrive to attend the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. Reuters
"This Easter comes at a time of real anxiety for many people. Conflicts abroad, pressures at home, and uncertainty about the future weigh heavily on families and households," said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in his Easter message from 10 Downing Street.
"In moments like these, faith offers reassurance and grounding a reminder that we are not alone, and that hope can still take root even in difficult soil.
"Our country is at its best when we choose community over division, kindness over indifference, and service over self-interest. I thank everyone who gives their time through churches and Christian charities, and wish Christians across the UK and around the world a very happy Easter filled with peace, hope and the promise of new life," he said.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England, also used her first Easter sermon since installation at Canterbury Cathedral to call for an end to "violence and destruction" in the Middle East.
Dame Sarah Mullally said: "This week our gaze and our prayers have been turned towards the land where Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead.
"Today, as we shout with joy that Christ is risen, let us pray and call with renewed urgency for an end to the violence and destruction in the Middle East and the Gulf.
"May our Christian sisters and brothers know and celebrate the hope of the empty tomb and may all people of the region receive the peace, justice and freedom they long for."
Thousands have been killed in the ongoing US-Israel strikes on Iran, responded to by Tehran with attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.
