Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie will not attend the Easter Sunday service at Windsor Castle today.
It is understood that the disgraced former Duke of York and the princesses have made alternative plans with Charles’s agreement.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, however, will join the King and Queen Camilla for the Easter Matins service at St George’s Chapel for the first time in two years.
Last year, Charles and Camilla were joined by Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson at the 15th century chapel on Easter Sunday.
Since then, Andrew has been stripped by his brother of both his right to be a prince and his dukedom over his association with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, though Beatrice and Eugenie kept their princess titles.
Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, alleged that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times, including when she was 17.
Andrew was arrested in February, on his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in public office after allegations that he shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.
He has denied any wrongdoing over his links to Epstein regarding Ms Giuffre, but has not directly responded to the latest allegations.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie (pictured in 2011 at Zara Phillips and Mikle Tindall’s wedding )will not be at the Easter Service at Windsor Castle
King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend the traditional Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on April 20, 2025
Beatrice and Eugenie have also faced scrutiny after their names appeared in the recently released Epstein files.
The Easter service comes days after Buckingham Palace announced Charles’ visit to the US will go ahead from April 27 to April 30 as planned, despite tensions between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the Iran war.
The Prince and Princess of Wales missed the service last year as they were spending the weekend with their children in Norfolk, and they were absent in 2024 as it came just over a week after Kate released an emotional video message disclosing that she had started a course of preventative chemotherapy.
Meanwhile, a body language expert has claimed Andrew desperately tried to flaunt his ‘blue blood’ status superiority over royal rival Sir Tim Laurence on Easter Sunday.
Following the Royal Family’s annual Easter Sunday service at Windsor’s St George’s Chapel in 2023, the former prince was captured holding a gate open for the clergy, Princess Anne and Sarah as they all exited the chapel.
However, a rather disgruntled Andrew, who found himself in a ‘humiliating regal royal downgrade’, appeared to reject the prospect of stepping out behind his brother-in-law, Sir Tim, 71.
According to Judi James, the ex-Duke, 66, underwent some ‘desperate queue-jumping that muscled the eternally polite Sir Tim to the back of the queue behind him’.
The event would mark one of Andrew’s last Easters with the Royal Family following the ensuing fallout of his controversial ties to Epstein.
However, three years ago, the then-Duke of York was eager to claim an ‘important centre power spot’ and a ‘dominant’ role in the Firm – at the expense of Sir Tim.
The Prince and Princess of Wales (pictured in 2025 attending the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey) will be joining Charles and Camilla for the Easter Service
Analysing the striking footage, Ms James told the Daily Mail: ‘Andrew arrives at the top of the stairs wearing a “gloating” type of smile at being the first royal to emerge and greet the cameras.
‘His eyes stare up at the corners with teeth bared. He performs a small, gallant glide to grab the gate and pull it back but his smile quickly drops as he finds himself pinned behind it and having to wait while the others go first at thanking and chatting to the clergy.’
Ms James noted that as Andrew continued to play the role of ‘doorman’, he soon realised he would be forced to ‘hold the gate open for non blue-blood Sir Tim’ and quickly began to establish a ‘get-out strategy’.
‘Andrew’s apparent impatience and indignation is suggested by the way he raises his hand to hold the spear at the top of the fencing,’ Ms James noted.
‘His hand becomes a claw at the top of the pole and his lips are clamped as he scans the cameras and the public with a wary eye expression.’
While it may have been ‘more polite for Andrew to wait his turn and go last’, the former prince instead ‘looks at Tim with two intentional gestures that show he has no intention of being last after his brother-in-law here’.
‘Andrew appears to warm up to jump in via a couple of small leans or pushes inward as though he is revving up for the push,’ said Ms James.
However, the clergy then appeared to turn back to speak to Anne, leaving a ‘frowning’ Andrew ‘ignored in the conversation’.
‘This time, Andrew pushes straight in front of Tim and turns his glance to the cameras to announce his arrival in the important centre power-spot,’ added Ms James.
‘Andrew might have nodded at Tim to register the pushing-in but it seems he just ignores him, a gesture that looks like a lack of respect.’
In response to Andrew’s actions, Tim appears to ‘grin wryly’ which Ms James notes may be a ‘form of polite indulgence’.
‘He remains cold-shouldered by Andrew, pushed behind him while Fergie is pushed to the side.’