Queen Elizabeth II Skips Easter Sunday Service at St George’s Chapel Due to Health Issues

Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday that Queen Elizabeth II will not be attending the traditional Easter Sunday service at St George's Chapel in Windsor this Sunday, April 17th, due to health issues.

The 95-year-old monarch has been experiencing mobility issues in recent months and now lives at Windsor.

This marks the first Easter Sunday service the Queen will have missed in five decades.

Today, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall represented her at the Royal Mourn Day service at Windsor, but will also then be away for Easter.

It is reported that the couple will instead be enjoying a short spring break at their Scottish home of Bourke Hall on the Balmoral Estate.

However, it is not yet confirmed which members of the Royal Family will be present in Windsor on Easter Sunday.

Previous years have seen the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie gather for the Easter Sunday service.

However, this year, the Queen's absence will be notable as it falls on the one-year anniversary of her husband Prince Philip's funeral, which also took place at St George's Chapel on April 17, 2021.

The Queen attended last month's memorial commemorating the life of Philip and has been carrying out virtual events and her other duties as head of state.

However, she was unable to commit to the Royal Mourn Day service, and so the heir to the throne was asked to represent her to avoid her having to pull out on the day.

The Royal Mourn Day service is an important fixture in the royal calendar, and the Queen is usually tasked with distributing Mourn Day money to those who have made a significant contribution to their community.

This ancient duty fell to Prince Charles at this year's service.

Charles distributed the Mourn Day coins to 96 men and 96 women, as the Queen will be 96 this year, celebrating her birthday on the 21st of April.

Each recipient receives two purses, one red and one white.

The white purse was filled with uniquely minted Mourn Day money, silver 10p and 3p pieces, to the value of 96 pence.

In the red pouch was a 5lb coin and a 50p coin portraying the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Both coins have been newly minted this year.

The Royal Mourn Day is an ancient ceremony that originated in the commandment Christ gave after washing the feet of his disciples the day before Good Friday.

Although the in-person ceremony was cancelled the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Queen still distributed Mourn Day money by sending the gift along with a letter to each of the recipients.

The recipients were chosen in recognition of their service to the community.

As of 2017, the Queen has visited every Anglican cathedral in England for the Mourn Day service.

Early in her reign, the Queen decided Mourn Day money should not just be distributed to the people of London, so now she travels to various cathedrals or abbeys to give gifts to local people.

Today at the Royal Mourn Day service, Charles and Camilla were welcomed by the Dean of Windsor, the Right Reverend David Connor, who gave the address at Prince Philip's moving service of Thanksgiving last month, before taking their seats inside the chapel with the rest of the congregation.

In keeping with tradition, Charles and Camilla were presented with nose-gays, sweet-smelling bouquets, which in centuries past were used to ward off unpleasant smells during the ceremony.

In conclusion, while the Queen continues to struggle with her health, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall represented her at the Royal Mourn Day service at Windsor today.

The Queen's absence this year will mark it as the first Easter Sunday service the Queen will have missed in five decades.