The Queen makes her first public appearance at Prince Philip’s memorial service
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Despite the public’s doubts that she would make an appearance amidst her recent health scares and ongoing mobility issues, Queen Elizabeth II has surprised everyone when she managed to join the rest of the royal family and other dignitaries at a memorial service in honour of her late husband, Prince Philip.
The service was organised as public gathering rules meant the late Duke’s funeral, held almost a year ago, had only 30 people present.
Meaning, the Queen was seen poignantly sitting alone as her husband of more than seven decades was lowered into the Royal Vault of St George’s Chapel of the castle.
This year, Her Majesty was joined by her heir, Prince Charles, his son William and his wife Kate and other members of the royal family, including their children, honouring the memory of the late Prince Philip.
It was Queen Elizabeth’s first public appearance in months after experiencing several health issues. Credit: Richard Pohle/AP.
The Queen and Prince Philip's two eldest children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, were sitting in the same row as her. Prince William and his wife Kate were in the row directly behind along with two of the Queen’s great-grandchildren, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
The Queen's other two sons, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, also had front row seats, across the aisle from the Queen.
However, it seems like Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, both of whom are currently living in the US, did not attend the service following a disagreement with the government over security protection.
A number of foreign Kings and Queens, friends of the late Duke, politicians including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, military figures and more than 500 representatives from charities and other organisations also attended the service.
Even though the 95-year-old monarch had been actively involved in its planning, it was reported that she only made the final decision to attend the memorial service hours before the event.
The Queen was said to be suffering from mobility issues and had to pull out of the Commonwealth Service earlier this month. In February, she also tested positive for the coronavirus.
Special measures were put in place for her comfort, including keeping the length of the memorial service to up to 45 minutes only.
David Conner – a long-time friend of Prince Philip who also conducted his funeral – told the audience at the memorial service that the prince’s life “bore the marks of sacrifice and service”.
“Certainly, he could show great sympathy and kindness. There is no doubt that he had a delightfully engaging, and often self-deprecating, sense of humour,” he said.
“It is quite clear that his mind held together both speculation and common sense. Moreover, nobody would ever doubt his loyalty and deep devotion to our Queen and to their family.”
The Queen and Prince Philip had been married for 73 years. Credit: Getty Images.
The flowers on display at the memorial service included orchids, a reference to the orchids in the Queen's wedding bouquet.
The Queen, Duchess of Cornwall and Princess Anne all wore dark green for the service – a similar shade to Edinburgh Green, the late duke’s livery colour.
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