Commonwealth Day is one of the highlights of the royal calendar each year, with King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate and other senior royals coming together to celebrate the diverse countries that make up the Commonwealth of Nations. Held on the second Monday of March, the event is marked with a service at Westminster Abbey each year, and on Tuesday, March 3, Buckingham Palace announced the royal lineup would be missing two key figures.
Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie are typically regular attendees at the Commonwealth Day festivities, but last year, Sophie missed the event to travel to New York and support women's and girls' rights with Plan International UK. Edward, whose birthday was the same day as the event, also missed the service.
