Overview
- Buckingham Palace confirmed Thursday that no Easter message will be issued in 2026, a change from last year but not a break with any set royal tradition.
- The King and Queen marked Maundy Thursday in North Wales, choosing an in-person engagement rather than a broadcast.
- Senior clergy led the backlash, with Bishop Ceirion H Dewar calling the move “bitterly disappointing” and promoting an open letter that has drawn more than 8,400 signatures.
- Critics contrasted the silence with the Royal Family account’s February greeting for Ramadan, saying the pattern suggests warmer public gestures to other faiths than to Christianity.
- Commentators say the controversy could follow the King into his late-April state visit to the United States, keeping scrutiny on how he balances interfaith outreach with his Christian role.