The Prince of Wales has pulled out of attending a memorial service at Windsor Castle for for one of his godfathers due to a “personal matter”.

Kensington Palace would not elaborate further but said the Princess of Wales, who is recovering from abdominal surgery, continued to be doing well.

William was due to deliver a reading at the service in St George’s chapel for Constantine II of Greece, who died in January last year.

The Prince of Wales called the former Greek king’s family, who are attending the service, to let them know he was unable to attend.

Kate is away from official royal engagements until after Easter after undergoing surgery in January.

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King Charles will also miss the service as he continues treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer.

Charles, who has been staying at Windsor Castle, is due to leave the Berkshire residence at some point on Tuesday morning.

Dozens of foreign royals travelled to Windsor to attend the service but the king was not expected to meet them privately.

Constantine’s eldest son, Pavlos, is to step in to give the reading in William’s place.

The Duke of York led family members including his former wife Sarah, Duchess of York, Princess Beatrice, the Princess Royal and Zara and Mike Tindall, who arrived at the chapel after being driven to the castle quadrangle by coach.

The final member of the British royal family to arrive was the queen, who was driven down from the castle to the 15th-century chapel. She was greeted by the dean of Windsor, the Right Rev Christopher Cocksworth, at the Galilee Porch.

The king was said to be close to Constantine, his second cousin and a first cousin once removed and sailing partner of the late Duke of Edinburgh. Constantine died at the age of 82 in January last year, decades after being toppled from the throne in a military coup.

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