It is the king's hope that he'll walk to and from St. George's Chapel for the Sunday service.
The plans are in motion to slowly but surely get King Charles III back to his public duties amid his recovery from cancer, beginning with Sunday's Easter service at St. George's Chapel.
According to The Telegraph, the king's plans to attend church on Easter Sunday are being described as "gentle steps" towards returning to some of his public duties. The outlet reports that His Majesty is expected to walk to and from St. George's Chapel, in Windsor, weather permitting.
On his walk to church with Queen Camilla, Charles is expected to also wave and greet -- from a distance -- a small crowd made up of members of the congregation and those who live on the Windsor estate. A source told The Telegraph that the king's planned attendance is a "sign of things heading in the right direction." These Easter plans are said to be "turning the dial" towards the king resuming attending public events, with the hopes of a gradual increase in hosting guests for engagements at the palace as summer approaches.
When the king makes his way inside the church, his seat next to the queen will be apart from the rest of the congregation. This measure is considered "an acceptable environment at this stage of his illness." But when the service ends, The Telegraph reports Charles is expected to skip the Easter lunch reception. He will also not host a private family lunch. The condensed schedule, the outlet reports, is being described as "Easter Lite."
Charles' attendance at Sunday's Easter service will mark his first public appearance since he began treatment for cancer nearly two months ago.
Buckingham Palace announced in February that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer following a procedure he underwent for an enlarged prostate. The palace has not shared what type of cancer Charles is battling or when he is expected to resume his typical royal duties. Since the diagnosis, he has been receiving treatment and recuperating at Sandringham Estate.
Charles was last seen in February in London waving to the crowd as he was being driven from his residence at Clarence House. Amid his recovery, Charles' nephew, Peter Phillips, said the king is upset over the timeline of his recovery but "pragmatic" about the medical advice he has been given.
"He's in good spirits," Phillips told Sky News Australia. "I think, ultimately, he's hugely frustrated. He's frustrated that he can't get on and do everything that he wants to be able to do."
Following Charles' cancer diagnosis, Kate Middleton revealed her own cancer diagnosis in a video statement shared by Buckingham Palace. She explained that she was diagnosed after her major abdominal surgery in January.
Although the mother of three did not reveal what kind of cancer she's battling, she shared that she's currently undergoing "preventative chemotherapy" and is "now in the early stages of that treatment."
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