King leads largest gathering of senior royals since Andrew’s arrest: Charles and Camilla joined by William and Kate and Princess Anne at Westminster Abbey for Commonwealth Day service

The King, Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales today led the largest gathering of senior royals since the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, marking Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey.

Kate dazzled in in a navy Catherine Walker dress coat and five-strand pearl necklace that belonged to her husband’s late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.

His Majesty, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, ignored a small but vocal group of anti-monarchist protestors as they arrived at the Abbey. 

It came amid reports that Charles is set to discuss the thorny issue of his brother Andrew and his place in the order of succession with Commonwealth leaders later. 

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer took time away from the Iran crisis to join dignitaries from around the world in central London this afternoon.

Prince Albert of Monaco, Geri Horner and her husband Christian joined an array of stars and politicians in the Abbey.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were the last guests to arrive after William and Kate, who were welcomed at the Abbey door by Dr David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster.

Charles’s annual address to the family of nations was included in a special booklet given to the congregation.

He said in his message: ‘Working together, we can ensure that the Commonwealth continues to stand as a force for good…’.

The King praised the ‘precious’ Commonwealth, describing it as a forum for ‘honest discussion’ aimed at improving the lives of billions in an ‘increasingly fragmented’ world.

Charles has also used his Commonwealth Day message to highlight how the institution has ‘untapped potential for prosperous trade between trusting partners’.

His words to the 56 member states of the family of nations were released ahead of Monday’s Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

The King and Queen will be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and 1,800 guests at the annual event.

Charles, head of the Commonwealth, said in his written message: ‘In a world that can feel increasingly fragmented, this voluntary union of free association remains rare and precious – a forum for open and honest discussion and debate to help improve the lives of the nearly three billion people who call our member states home.’

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and senior members of his Cabinet attended alongside High Commissioners and young people.

Spice Girl Geri Halliwell-Horner, an ambassador for the Royal Commonwealth Society which stages the event, gave an address and there will be a reflection from former Strictly Come Dancing judge Oti Mabuse and a poem from Selina Tusitala Marsh, the inaugural Commonwealth Poet Laureate.

Charles also says in his message: ‘Our Commonwealth of Nations holds untapped potential for prosperous trade between trusting partners. With nearly two-thirds of our population under the age of 30, we are a family defined by youth and possibility.

‘It is our shared responsibility to ensure that they inherit not only hope and ambition, but also a world in which they can flourish.

‘That inheritance depends upon the health of our planet and on the restoration of the natural world on which we depend. Across so many parts of our Commonwealth climate change is not an abstract or distant threat, but a lived reality.

‘The stewardship of nature, the protection of oceans and forests, and the pursuit of prosperity secured in harmony with the natural world are duties we owe not only to one another, but to generations yet unborn.’

As head of the Commonwealth, Charles issues an annual message to the 56 member nations which will hold their biennial Commonwealth meeting this year during the first week of November in the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.

Inspired by the meeting’s theme – accelerating partnerships and investment for a prosperous commonwealth – the service will celebrate collaboration as the defining strength of the modern family of nations.

Among the congregation will be Commonwealth high commissioners, young people and leading voices from the creative community.

The service will feature artistic moments, including the world premiere of the Commonwealth Symphony, composed by Rekesh Chauhan, and a bespoke dance collaboration between the Royal Ballet School and Sapnay Entertainments, uniting classical ballet and Bollywood in an expression of cross-cultural partnership.

Other performers include a Scottish ceilidh band, the Melodians Steel Orchestra and further special reflections and readings from guests.

It came amid reports King Charles is ‘likely to discuss’ the removal of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession during a meeting with Commonwealth leaders today.

The monarch, 77, will join leaders of the 56 member countries to mark the annual celebrations during a service at Westminster Abbey later this afternoon. 

It will also be the largest gathering of Royal Family members since Andrew’s arrest last month following allegations he shared classified information with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. 

Charles attended the congregation of 1,800 people, made up of politicians and diplomats.

But in private, he is also likely to discuss removing Andrew, who denies any wrongdoing and remains under police investigation, from the line of succession.

The 66-year-old is currently eighth in line to the throne, with his removal requiring legislation in the UK and the approval of the 14 other Commonwealth realms where the King is head of state.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney became the latest Commonwealth leader to call for Andrew’s removal after describing his actions as ‘deplorable’. 

It followed interventions from the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand, who previously said they would support the UK Government in any such plans. 

It is understood that the UK Government will consider introducing legislation to remove Andrew from the line of succession once police have finished their investigation into the King’s disgraced brother.

Sources also told the Times that no decision has yet been made on whether Andrew’s daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, will also be removed. 

Beatrice, 37, as the oldest of the two siblings, is ninth in line to the throne, followed by her two children and Eugenie, 35. 

The pair were recently ‘blindsided’ by a decision to prevent them joining the rest of the Royal Family at Royal Ascot this year amid concerns about the unfolding scandal involving the House of York and their ties with Epstein. 

Defence Secretary John Healey last month ordered a review of military files for any evidence that Epstein used RAF bases to traffic girls into the UK. 

Mr Healey tasked officials with trawling through more than two decades of Ministry of Defence records and handing over to police any flight logs linked to the late paedophile financier. 

Meanwhile, former prime minister Gordon Brown has written to six police forces demanding investigations into whether Andrew used jets, funded by the taxpayer, and RAF bases during his time as trade envoy to meet Epstein.

Andrew served as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment from 2001 until 2011, when he stepped down amid controversy over his friendship with Epstein.