Why Prince Philip Isn't at Easter Church Services with the Rest of the Royal Family Today

Photo credit: GARETH FULLER - Getty Images
Photo credit: GARETH FULLER - Getty Images

From Town & Country

Today the royal family came together to mark two special occasions: Easter and the Queen's birthday.

The British monarch's relatives gathered at St George's Chapel in Windsor for Sunday services, as they do every year on Easter, but a few familiar faces were missing this morning.

Prince Charles and Camilla typically spend the holiday in Scotland, and indeed, they were absent from the celebrations, as was the Duchess of Sussex, who is likely at home awaiting the arrival of her new baby.

As the Queen arrived at the chapel via car, it became apparent that her husband, Prince Philip, would also be skipping today's events.

Photo credit: Samir Hussein - Getty Images
Photo credit: Samir Hussein - Getty Images

While Philip, who is 97, has had some health set backs over the past year (notably, he had a successful hip operation last April), his absence shouldn't be cause for concern.

In October of last year, ahead of Princess Eugenie's wedding, the Telegraph reported that Philip "now operates on a 'wake up and see how I feel' basis."

"The royals are like any family in the sense they try to make family occasions but it is not always possible," a source told the publication.

While the Duke of Edinburgh has kept a relatively low profile recently, he hasn't stayed out of the papers entirely

In January, he was involved in a car accident near Sandringham, where his Land Rover collided with another car. Prince Philip was fortunately unharmed, but the driver of the other vehicle sustained cuts in the crash, and the passenger broke her wrist. A 9-month-old baby in the backseat of their car was also uninjured in the collision.

Following the incident, Prince Philip relinquished his drivers license, and no further charges were brought against any of the participants.

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