Beatrice and Eugenie won't be at royal Easter service

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie will not be attending the Royal Family's traditional Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle.

It is understood that the daughters of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson have made "alternative plans" for Easter.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will be at the Easter Matins service, with the Prince and Princess of Wales also expected to attend, having missed it last year.

The Easter gathering at St George's Chapel is an annual event in the royal diary, with members of the family facing photographers as they arrive for the church service.

While they might not be attending this Easter, the door has been left open for the princesses to attend future royal events and "family celebrations", such as the Christmas gathering at Sandringham.

The sisters' absence from attending the service in the 15th Century chapel is understood to be with the agreement of the King.

Last Easter, Mountbatten-Windsor, Ferguson and their daughters were all at the Windsor service, which is seen as a family event rather than an official engagement.

But since then Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and has moved to Sandringham, Norfolk.

He no longer lives with his ex-wife, who also left the couple's former home at Royal Lodge in Windsor.

Mountbatten-Windsor and his family have been engulfed by the Epstein scandal, with continuing questions about links to the US sex offender.

A US lawmaker, Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, last week asked Ferguson to testify about her ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

Mountbatten-Windsor has denied any wrongdoing from his connections with Epstein.

Earlier this month, Princess Eugenie stepped down as patron of charity Anti-Slavery International, a role she had held for seven years.