She entered the church through a sidedoor to reduce the distance to her seat.
The monarch entered the abbey with Prince Andrew as her second son. She then left him to walk alone to her seat, alleviating concerns about her “mobility issues”, which have kept her from making public appearances for some time. After Andrew settled a lawsuit over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, her choice to have escorts is seen as an affirmation of Andrew’s support.
Elizabeth, who has recently recovered from COVID-19 was unable to attend the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. However, she continued with her other scheduled engagements. The service included tributes and hymns from Philip’s charities. It was planned by the monarch, who was 95 years old. Due to pandemic restrictions, such touches were not allowed at his funeral last year.
Tuesday’s memorial was attended by approximately 1,800 relatives and friends. The funeral was restricted to 30 people last year. Queen Elizabeth wore a black mask and sat alone as she grieved her husband of 73years. Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was 99 years old when he died.
The Rev. David Conner recalled Philip’s service and dedication to the queen. He also vowed to help young people succeed through his Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Conner stated, “Through his passionate dedication, he attracted others to him in admiration, respect, and, in some cases, genuine love, in the case where he lived and worked closest to him.”
The royals’ choices of clothing also conveyed subtler honors. Elizabeth, her daughter Princess Anne, Camilla, and Camilla the Duchess were all dressed in dark-green — echoing Philip’s vibrant color of Edinburgh Green.
Doyin Sonibare (28), who wore green, won the Duke of Edinburgh Award. This award was created by Philip to help young people develop confidence and life skills through community service and outdoor activities. Since 1956, the program has been enjoyed by more than 6.7 million teens and young adults.
Sonibare paid the first tribute to Philip. She thanked him for creating a program that allowed her to get her first job, then go to university to study sickle cell research, and she is now pursuing a Ph.D.
The program’s culmination is an overnight expedition. This was a frightening experience for a young boy from East London, who had never been camping before. He also had a fear about climbing up steep hills.
She said, “I was afraid I would trip up and roll down the mountain, and it’s lights-out for Doyin.” “Fortunately, for me, that didn’t happen. I recall thinking to myself that if I can complete this expedition, then I can do anything, even though I was only 18 years old and uncertain about my future.
Philip requested that the entrances to Westminster Abbey be lined with Gold Award winners and youth cadet members.
Prayers were offered to Philip in his memory. The congregation also sang “Guide Me O Thou Great Savior”, which was not possible due to restrictions on singing at the funeral. The queen joined in.
The event was attended by Britain’s royal family, with Prince Charles seated beside his mother and Prince William behind them. The Duke and Duchesss of Sussex were absent most notably.
Prince Harry filed a claim against Home Office after being told that he would not get the same level security from visiting his new base in the United States. He even offered to pay it.
Harry would like to take his children Archie, and Lilibet with him to the U.K. His legal representatives said that this is too risky without protection from police.
Philip’s friends, along with some 30 foreign royaltys, took part in the event, including Prince Albert, King Felipe VI, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Prince Felipe VI, and Queen Letizia.
The service was short because Philip hated fusses and the queen left the church in less than 50 minutes. It did allow Britain to express gratitude to Philip, who was the “liege man for life and limb” at the queen’s 1953 coronation.
It was also a family event, proving that even in the most difficult times, the Windsors are resilient.
Andrew’s role emphasized that he was still a member of the family even though he had to step down from public duties due to Epstein’s scandal. A lawsuit brought by an American woman alleging she was forced to have sex in public with the prince when she was 17 years old, was settled by the prince this month. Andrew refutes the allegations.
Peter Hunt, a royal analyst, tweeted that “This was Andrew being endorsed by the queen after he paid millions of dollars to a woman he claims he has no recollection ever meeting.” “Either Charles or William did not intervene, or they did and failed stop the prince from playing such a prominent role at his father’s memorial service.”
