What happens after Royal Family Easter service – traditional roast and luxurious chocolate eggs

This Easter weekend won’t be like any other for the Royal Family, who are facing a challenging period following two shock cancer diagnoses.

King Charles’ appearance at the annual Easter church service in Windsor comes after weeks of the monarch being unable to take part in “public-facing duties,” as he undergoes treatment for cancer. Despite the King’s presence this Easter Sunday, it hasn’t been entirely business as usual this holy week, with Charles missing the Maundy Thursday service, leaving Queen Camilla to take the lead at Worcester Cathedral and distribute the traditional gifts on his behalf.

However, His Majesty made his presence known through an audio recording, in which he gave a reading from the Gospels and a personal message to the congregation. As Supreme Governor of the Church of England, it’s understandable that Charles was so keen to be there in person on Easter Sunday, however the Princess of Wales has taken a step away from public duty as she focuses on her recovery with preventative chemotherapy for her cancer.

Whilst the annual church service in Windsor is the highlight of the religious festival for the royals, they also have some longstanding traditions they are known to follow afterwards, behind closed doors.

Traditional roast

The Royal Family – like many people – share special family meals over the long weekend. Kicking off on Good Friday, Windsor starts “buzzing” with royals, according to former royal chef, Darren McGrady.

The Windsors share hot cross buns for breakfast, and later tuck into a traditional fish dinner – usually hake according to McGrady. The former royal chef explained to OK magazine: “Easter Court was alive and buzzing when the whole family came to Windsor in those days. We were busy making Hot Cross Buns for breakfast on Good Friday and the kitchens were full of hustle and bustle.

The chef explained that on Easter Sunday itself, after the family had returned from church, they were treated to a four-course roast dinner. “We’d go straight into the main course – a traditional roast lamb with seasonal vegetables,” he explained, adding that the late Queen Elizabeth was partial to “her meat well done so she’d always have the first two slices.”

McGrady added: “They’d also have a compound salad served in a kidney dish attached to the plate – just some lettuce and cucumber with a little mint or some grated carrot and coriander.” During his tenure as a royal chef, the late Queen preferred to use delicious local ingredients, and one of her favourite components was Windsor cheese made in a nearby Dairy.

The family traditionally puts a lot of importance on eating seasonally – and Charles, who is known to be dedicated to organic farming methods and sustainable growing practices, is likely to have continued this trend. There is one rule that may be relaxed now King Charles is in charge – the children eating separately. Royal expert Ingrid Seward – editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine – has previously explained to The Sun that the royals “will all have dinner together but not the young children they will eat in the nursery dining room.

“The Queen always said until they could hold a knife and fork properly they could not eat at the table, but Charles might have relaxed that rule a bit. But dinner is only for grown-ups.” After they’ve enjoyed their four-course lunch, the royals enjoy a decadent afternoon tea together, which is presented to them alongside a bounty of Easter eggs.

Chocolate treats

The Royal Family is said to indulge in chocolate when Easter Sunday rolls around and Lent is officially over – according to McGrady, the late Queen often gave up the sweet treat for Lent so she would be more than ready to tuck on. On the other hand, Charles is apparently not a huge fan of the stuff, according to McGrady, so less likely to be indulging this Easter.

However, their Easter eggs sound pretty luxurious, with the former royal chef explaining that the private chefs made them bespoke eggs each year, with delicate floral decorations made from sugar for the grown-ups and eye-catching and fun designs for the kids.

Kate and William’s family time

Whilst Charles made an appearance at church to mark Easter, there were some notable absences – with Kate and William opting to stay at home with their three children as Kate focuses on her recovery in private. The Wales family is reported to be spending their children’s school holidays in their Norfolk residence of Anmer Hall.

However there was speculation that Kate might have been planning on joining the rest of the family for the annual family stroll to church – although these reports were published before Kate’s diagnosis was made public. The Chapel walk roughly takes 10 minutes downhill, and in previous years, the Firm took a car back up to avoid the steep climb.

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