King Charles III and his granddaughter Princess Charlotte shared a heartwarming moment during the royal family's Easter service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on April 5, 2026.
As the royal family entered the chapel for the annual Easter service, the 77-year-old monarch playfully poked 10-year-old Charlotte on the shoulder, eliciting a sweet smile from the young princess. Prince William watched the interaction with a visible grin as Queen Camilla followed behind the king.
The outing marked the first Easter service appearance for Prince William and Kate Middleton since 2023, following their absence in 2024 after Kate's cancer diagnosis and a private family celebration in 2025.
Kate Middleton, 44, wore a taupe skirt suit with matching hat that coordinated perfectly with Charlotte's tan overcoat. William, 43, matched his sons Prince George, 12, and Prince Louis, 7, in blue suits for the occasion.
The family was joined by other senior royals including Princess Anne with her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, and Prince Edward with his son James, Earl of Wessex.
This tender grandfather-granddaughter moment comes as William recently shared insights about parenting during a BBC Radio 1 mental health panel discussion in February, noting that while he loves hearing about his children's feelings, he sometimes finds it "quite difficult" to resist the urge to "fix everything" for them.
With the Prince and Princess of Wales resuming public duties together, their return to the traditional Easter service offered a glimpse of normalcy and family connection within the royal household.