Each Easter Sunday there is a service held in St George's Chapel within the grounds of Windsor Castle, which was traditionally attended by Her Majesty, accompanied by family members who were visiting at the time. The service is open to members of the public, and people are also permitted to stand on the grass opposite the chapel to observe the royal party arriving and departing the service. While The Queen used to be driven down from the castle, the majority of the party would walk down the hill, and over the years this provided a lovely opportunity to see and photograph many members of The Queen's family not often seen publicly. Many years ago we used to be permitted into the private grounds later in the day for a short band concert on the terrace, where it was amazing to see The Queen, surrounded by her family, sitting in a huge picture window, enjoying the concert. It almost seems impossible to imagine now, but they were magical afternoons that I will never forget. The crowd was never large, as most people had no idea that anything was happening, and it would probably have spoiled it if they had done!

Over the years we have watched the royal children growing up on Easter Sundays, from their earliest attendances at the service, and I remember taking pictures of young Prince William and his cousin Zara Phillips in matching red coats and Prince William and the Princess of Wales in matching powder blue. After the service the Dean would entertain his royal congregation for a while, and the children were often seen departing first clutching Easter eggs as they scampered back up the hill accompanied by the nominated parent. Now I have seen those children bringing their own children to the service on Easter Sunday - it doesn't seem possible that the youngest of those children is now older than the parents were when I first saw them there!

One year my son Zachary, who had presented flowers to Her Majesty on many occasions, and was well known both to her and to the protection officers, asked me if he could take flowers on Easter Sunday. I was unsure about this, as it is technically a private event. In the end I let him take a tiny posy from the garden, on the understanding that he would probably still have it when we came home, but he was lucky, and was invited to cross the road as Her Majesty appeared at the gate from the Deanery, and was allowed to hand them over. The following year he did the same. Someone then decided that the flowers should be presented to The Queen officially, on a much grander scale, and from the following year onwards various children, suited and booted, were stood by the gate with fancy expensive flowers and no idea who Her Majesty was. I am not sure who most of the children were, although I believe some were grandchildren or great grandchildren of Military Knights, and I was always puzzled as to why there would be two official bouquets presented, leaving The Queen with no free hand to shake with the Dean. But the decision had been made that garden flowers were no longer good enough for Easter Sunday, and the first year Princess Anne came across and took Zachary's flowers as he had them in his hand. Sometimes I think that making everything official is not the best plan, but I also know, when I see the flowers arriving each year, that it was my son who started the tradition!

On arrival, the family would line up along the wall by the Galilee Porch to greet The Monarch, which they still do with The King, before entering the chapel en masse, and this is still what happens. In later years Her Majesty would also leave by that door afterwards, rather than climbing the stairs by The Deanery, along with everyone else, which The King and Queen now do again. Members of the congregation join the waiting crowd on the grass to bid the royal party farewell.
It is a special morning to be a part of, but like at many events, the make up of the crowd has changed now from how it was in the past, and this is not necessarily a good thing!