Reason why Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, skipped Easter service with the Royal Family

Like many families up and down the country, the British Royal Family gathered together for an Easter Sunday church service yesterday - but one member was noticeably missing.

To celebrate Easter Sunday (5 April), King Charles III and Queen Camilla made their way to St. George's Chapel, Windsor.

They were joined by senior members of the Royal Family, such as Kate Middleton, Prince William, and their children, for the Easter Matins service.

William waved to the large crowd waiting outside the castle to catch a glimpse of the family, as the couple led a procession to the service with their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.

More than a hundred people were gathered outside the castle, with some holding banners or flags, and one boy was even dressed up as a King’s Guard.

Princess Anne was also there with her husband Sir Tim Laurence, as was the King's brother, Prince Edward, and his 18-year-old son, James, Earl of Wessex.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was absent from the Royal Family's Easter Sunday service (Dave Benett/Getty Images)

As mentioned, though, one royal who was expected to be in attendance for the service was nowhere to be seen - Edward's wife, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh.

According to HELLO! Magazine, the senior royal was on the invite list but in the end was 'under the weather,' so didn't attend.

Lady Louise Windsor, the royal couple's 22-year-old daughter, also didn't attend, and the publication reported that this was because she was busy with her studies.

She's currently studying English at the University of St Andrews and is expected to graduate this summer.

The mother-daughter absence at Easter comes just a few weeks after Prince Edward and his family missed the annual Commonwealth Day event, which took place at Westminster Abbey on 9 March.

Reportedly, this was because the couple had been spending time in Milan and Cortina, supporting Team GB at the Paralympic Winter Games, Tatler reported.

Her husband, Prince Edward, was among those in attendance, as was their 18-year-old son James, the Earl of Wessex (Anadolu/Getty Images)

The week after, Prince Edward attended the Nigerian state banquet at Windsor Castle, but without his wife.

As per HELLO!, the Duchess's last public appearance was on 23 March, as she attended the Reasons For Hope Gala, which celebrated Dr Jane Goodall's legacy at The Peninsula hotel in London.

Also not in attendance at the Easter Sunday service were Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who received agreement from the King to make alternative plans.

It comes after Andrew was stripped of his titles last year over his association with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Tyla has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.