Prince William, pictured at the Bafta Awards on February 18, withdrew from doing a Bible reading at a memorial service for King Constantine of Greece at the last minute. Photo / Getty
Prince William, pictured at the Bafta Awards on February 18, withdrew from doing a Bible reading at a memorial service for King Constantine of Greece at the last minute. Photo / Getty
A source said only that the Prince was “no longer able to attend due to a personal matter”.
He is expected to attend a planned engagement on Thursday at a synagogue where he will discuss the rise of anti-Semitism with young campaigners, and another public event on Friday.
William, 41, who was to give a reading at the service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Tuesday morning, called the Greek royal family to inform them he would no longer be attending.
The Queen led members of the Royal family after the King was also forced to pull out following his cancer diagnosis.
Charles, 75, a great friend and second cousin of Constantine, had been staying at Windsor Castle but left by helicopter before the service began. He was not expected to meet any members of the Greek royal family privately as he continues his cancer treatment.
Dozens of foreign royals travelled to Windsor to attend the service, flying in from Spain, Jordan, Denmark, Bulgaria, Serbia and the Netherlands.
Prince Andrew, Sarah, Duchess of York, Zara Tindall, Sir Timothy Laurence, Mike Tindall and Anne, Princess Royal attend the Thanksgiving Service for King Constantine of the Hellenes at St George's Chapel in Windsor, England. Photo / Getty
The Duke of York, making a rare public appearance, led a group of his own family members, including his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York and Princess Beatrice. Zara and Mike Tindall arrived at the chapel by coach.
The Duke, who attended in a personal capacity on the invitation of the Greek royal family, was warmly greeted on arrival by the Right Rev Christopher Cocksworth, the Dean of Windsor, and sat in the front row.
The Princess Royal, 73, who has just returned from Namibia, where she attended a memorial for late president Hage Geingob on behalf of the King, was also present, with her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
They were joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra, 87, who was in a wheelchair, and her daughter, Marina Ogilvy, and the Duke of Kent, 88.
Other guests at the sombre, hour-long service included Sir Jackie Stewart, the former Formula One world champion, and Penny Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, both close friends of the Royal family.
The Queen, 76, smiled as she arrived at the entrance to the chapel shortly before 11am in a navy wide-brimmed hat, a matching pinstripe blazer and skirt.
As she took her seat inside, she had a brief chat with Princess Anne, who was sitting next to her.
Queen Camilla and Princess Anne, Princess Royal depart the Thanksgiving Service for King Constantine at St George's Chapel in Windsor. Photo / Getty
The Dean, who gave the bidding, said Constantine, who was forced into exile following a military coup, had “lived through times of great change and challenge”.
The service ended with the Russian Orthodox chant known as the Kontakion of the Departed, which was sung at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in April 2021.
The Queen later hosted a private reception for guests including Queen Anne-Marie, former Queen of the Hellenes, at Windsor Castle, just a stone’s throw from Adelaide Cottage, home to the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children.
The Princess was admitted to the private London Clinic for abdominal surgery on January 17. She was discharged almost two weeks later and is now recuperating at home in Windsor. She is not expected to return to work until after Easter.
The Prince of Wales immediately cancelled all engagements in his own diary to look after his wife and their three children. He has carried out only a handful of public duties since she was discharged.
The King was admitted to the London Clinic for treatment for an enlarged prostate just days after his daughter-in-law underwent surgery.
During the procedure, further tests were carried out and it emerged days later that he had an undisclosed form of cancer, prompting him to cancel all public-facing duties as he undergoes treatment.
Constantine, Greece’s final King, who reigned from 1964 until 1973, died on January 10 last year, aged 82.
The Princess Royal and Lawrence represented the British Royal family at his funeral, held in Athens a week later.
