Well-wishers gather to see royals arrive for Windsor church service

A crowd of well-wishers gathered outside St George’s Chapel to see the royals as they arrived for the Mattins service on a cold morning.

The Queen, who was joined by the Duke of Edinburgh, wore a long pink coat and matching hat accessorised by a flower.

Princess Eugenie wore a cream dress and hat with a black coat, while her sister, Princess Beatrice, wore a turquoise dress and coat, with a yellow hat.

The Duke of York was also at the service.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex, who was dressed in a blue suit and a peacock feather hat, arrived with their daughter, Lady Louise Windsor.

Hymns sung during the hour-long service, conducted by Dean of Windsor the Right Rev David Conner, included A Brighter Dawn Is Breaking and Jesus Christ Is Risen Today.

The Queen was presented with posies of flowers by children as she left the chapel.

Five-year-old twins Holly and Poppy Alden were chosen as their father, Ben, sings in the chapel’s choir.

“I said ‘happy Easter Your Majesty’ and did a curtsey,” Poppy said.

Her mother, Francesca, added: “It’s something special for us and for the children. It will be a memory that they’ll keep.”

Daniel Phillips, seven, travelled to Windsor from Cornwall with his brother and their parents.

“I gave her my flowers and she said ‘thank you very much’. I was nervous because she’s the Queen,” he said.

The Archbishop of Canterbury used his first Easter Sunday sermon to warn against “pinning hopes on individuals” in politics and public life to deliver a better future.

The Most Rev Justin Welby said ignoring complexity and humanity left us “unreasonably disappointed” with everyone “from politicians to NHS, education to environment.”

The Archbishop also criticised a “hero leader culture” which he claimed led to unfair blame in society.