King Charles said a special hello to Princess Charlotte as the royal family stepped out for church on Easter.
The royal family attended the Easter Matins Service at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on the holiday, where the King’s special bond with his granddaughter was on display during a candid moment.
As the King entered the chapel, he playfully poked Princess Charlotte just under the shoulder while passing by. Charlotte, 10, responded with a smile, and Prince William was seen watching the sweet interaction.
King Charles, 77, and Queen Camilla, 78, made their way into the church first, followed by Prince William and Kate Middleton with their three children: Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, 7.
Royal author Ingrid Seward previously told PEOPLE that the King shares a warm connection with Princess Charlotte.
“He once wanted a daughter,” Seward said. “I would think he has a very nice relationship with his granddaughter.”
Though the holiday is a traditional outing for the family, Sunday’s service marked the first time that Prince William, 43, Princess Kate, 44, and their kids had attended Easter with the royal family since 2023. That year, Prince Louis joined the Easter tradition for the first time.
The family skipped services in 2024, shortly after Kate announced her cancer diagnosis. They also celebrated privately in 2025, months after the Princess of Wales shared that she was in remission.
The sweet moment between King Charles and Princess Charlotte on Easter is not the first time that the monarch has slipped into grandfather mode in public.
At Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant in June 2022, Prince Louis could be seen calling out for his “Pa” before heading over to sit on his grandfather’s lap. Charles bounced Louis on his knees and pointed out elements of the parade.
READ: The Sweet Gesture Between Charlotte and Kate Everyone Is Talking About
The pair’s relationship has also been documented in photos shared to the royal family’s social media accounts. In 2020, Charles marked Louis’ 2nd birthday with a touching black-and-white image of the pair embracing, and in an outtake of photos honoring the royal’s 70th birthday in 2018, a 7-month-old Louis reaches forward to grab his grandfather’s nose.
The bond between grandfather and grandson may date all the way back to the choice of Prince Louis’ name, which likely holds special meaning for the monarch. It’s believed he’s partially named after the King’s great-uncle and mentor, Earl Louis Mountbatten.
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