Some 1,800 congregated for Prince Philip’s memorial; an emotional Queen Elizabeth is accompanied by embattled Prince Andrew to Westminster Abbey


 Queen Elizabeth II made a public come back after five months at Prince Philip’s memorial service, with scandal-ridden Prince Andrew right beside her.

Five months after taking a hiatus, Queen Elizabeth II made a public come back as she graced the Service of Thanksgiving in honour of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Held at Westminster Abbey on March 29, the forty-minute service “paid tribute to The Duke of Edinburgh’s contribution to public life and steadfast support for the over 700 charitable organisations with which His Royal Highness was associated throughout his life.” The occasion likewise “recognised the importance of The Duke’s legacy in creating opportunities for young people, promoting environmental stewardship and conservation, and supporting the Armed Forces.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a quiet, funeral service attended by only 30 individuals, was held when the 99-year-old prince, who died in April 2021, was finally laid to rest.  Last December, Buckingham Palace released a statement announcing that a Service of Thanksgiving in honour of Prince Philip would take place this year at Westminster Abbey.

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"The Queen has agreed that a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh will take place in the spring of 2022 at Westminster Abbey," said the statement. In February, it was announced that the event will take place on March 29. 

Tuesday’s service was a well-attended gathering of about 1,800 family members, friends, foreign royals, leaders and other dignitaries. In fact, the memorial service was the largest gathering of royalty since pre-pandemic days.

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 Among the members of the British Royal Family in attendance were Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence; Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex; Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi; Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank; Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall; Peter Philips; Lady Sarah Chatto, and her husband, Daniel Chatto; Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester; Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

As per earlier announcement, Prince Harry did not attend the memorial service, but some of The Queen’s  great-grandchildren, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, did make it to the event.

A host of kings, queens, princes and princesses from other royal houses also converged at Westminster Abbey, including  The King and Queen of the Belgians; The Queen of Denmark; The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg; The Prince of Monaco; The King and Queen of the Netherlands and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands; The King and Queen of Spain; The King and Queen of Sweden; The Crown Prince of Bahrain; Prince El Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath El Hassan; Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes; Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece; Prince Philippos and Princess Nina of Greece; Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown and Prince Radu of Romania; Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia; and Prince Kyril of Preslav.  King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, sadly, contracted Covid-19 shortly before their trip to London and had to cancel their flight.

Over 500 representatives of the organisations and charities supported by Prince Philip also congregated at the Abbey, reflecting the breadth of causes and charitable interests championed by the prince, and as a tribute to those who continue his work.

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But biggest surprise of all was when Queen Elizabeth II arrived at Westminster Abbey accompanied by the embattled, Prince Andrew, Duke of York.  Enmeshed in a scandal, the Queen’s second son had to recently pay millions to settle a suit filed by a woman who accused him of having sex with her three times when she was under age. The Queen’s insistence on having her son right beside her in this emotional moment was a clear sign that despite the scandal, the Queen makes it know that Prince Andrew is still very much a part of the British Royal Family and that he still deserves to have a place in today’s commemoration.

Initially there were uncertainty as to whether the 95-year-old queen would make it to the 40-minute service due to mobility problems and health issues,  the most recent was her bout with COVID-19. Supported by a cane on one hand and with an arm on her second son, she entered Westminster Abbey using a side door, rather than on the main door, which would require her to take a longer walk. The Queen was indeed determined to make it to the service, which palace insiders said she was very much involved with during the planning stage. She even stood during the service and sang several hymns.

Her appearance on Tuesday was the Queen’s first ever public event outside of a royal residence since mid-October, when she visited Cardiff, Wales. A slew of cancelations were made in February after she contracted COVID-19 and other health concerns. She also recently complained of mobility issues and has since been seen walking using a cane.

The memorial service highlighted Prince Philip’s many contributions to Britain and the Commonwealth through his charitable work and his support of the Queen as her “strength and stay.”

The Very Reverend Dr. David Hoyle, in the bidding, praised the Duke for being “a man of rare ability and distinction” who “put privilege to work and understood his rank as a spur to service.” He was focused on “things that matter.” Meanwhile, The Right Rev David Conner described the prince as “a remarkable man” who gave his attention and energy to “a host of down-to-earth enterprises,” to include “equipping young people to face tomorrow’s challenges,” caring for and respecting the environment, and promoting inter-faith dialogue. “Through his passionate commitment,” he earned admiration, respect, and love.

 In her tribute,  Doyin Sonibare, Gold Award Holder from The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, highlighted the Duke's legacy through the Duke of Edinburgh Award: “In 1956, when The Duke of Edinburgh created the Award, he had a vision to create a programme which supported the development of young people all over the world. Today, you’ve learnt how his legacy has impacted me and how it will continue to impact future generations to come.”

For the service, Queen Elizabeth II donned a dark green dress, as did her Princess Anne and The Duchess of Cornwall, in reference to the “Edinburgh Green”, the livery color of Prince Philip’s private cars and the uniform of his staff), .She also wore a ruby and diamond brooch, which was given to her by the Duke of Edinburgh in 1966.

Amidst her sadness and already looking bent and frail due to old age, The Queen’s inner strength resounded.

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