The Royal Family, including King Charles and the Princess of Wales, gathered together for one of the biggest events in the royal calendar – the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey

The Royal Family gathered for one of the biggest events of the royal calendar – but two key members were missing.

Today, King Charles and Queen Camilla were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. The annual service is a celebration of the 56 nations that make up the Commonwealth with fellow working royals Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester also at the ceremony

However, two members of the family, who are known to be among the most hard-working were missing from the ceremony today – the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward and Sophie.

The royals in the procession at Westminster Abbey today ( 
Image:
PA)
The couple have attended the service together in previous years but neither were down to attend the service today. For Sophie, this seems to be down to the fact that, according to the Court Circular, she has headed abroad to the United States for a trip.

It is believed she will be carrying out engagements in New York this week, which are yet to be announced. Meanwhile, Edward is celebrating his 61st birthday today. It is unclear how he is spending the day, but according to the royal diary, he will be back out on duties tomorrow, visiting the Royal Air Force Station Waddington.

It comes as both the King and Kate returned to the service this year after both missing out last year due to their cancer diagnoses. The King, who is head of the Commonwealth, gives an annual address each year to the family of 56 nations, but last year pre-recorded a video message after postponing his public-facing duties for around three months after being diagnosed with cancer.

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are missing from today’s service ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
The Princess of Wales also missed the service last year, a key event in the royal calendar, after also being diagnosed with cancer but will be among the congregation alongside the King, Queen and Prince of Wales. Kate is still making a gradual return to public duties after confirming she is in remission.

In his Commonwealth Day message this year, the King said restoring the “disrupted harmony of our entire planet” is the most ‘important’ task facing humanity. Ahead of commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the King also remembered the “sacrifice and selflessness” of Commonwealth forces who answered the call to fight with Britain and her allies. This year’s Commonwealth Day theme is Together We Thrive, which celebrates the “enduring spirit of the Commonwealth family”.

After the ceremony, the King will also launch the inaugural King’s Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace, officially starting the countdown to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Charles and Camilla will also be guests of the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Scotland, at the annual Commonwealth Day reception on Monday evening and hear a commemorative song by Andrew Lloyd Webber to mark the inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize.

Commonwealth Day on Monday is also being marked by the release of a playlist Charles has compiled following a collaboration with Apple Music for his King’s Music Room show. Bob Marley, Kylie Minogue, Grace Jones and contemporary artists Davido and Raye are among those who make it into Charles’s top tracks from across the Commonwealth.