Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who had been with his wife for more than seven decades, died at their Windsor Castle home in April, two months after her 100th birthday.
Due to strict coronavirus rules, only 30 mourners could attend her funeral, meaning the Queen sat poignantly alone as her 73-year-old husband was lowered into the royal vault of St George’s Chapel in the palace.
Tuesday’s Thanksgiving service at London’s Westminster Abbey was a huge event, with the Queen joined by her heiress, Prince Charles, his son William and other members of the royal family, including wife Kate and their children.
With him in the congregation were foreign kings and queens, friends of the late duke, politicians including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, military figures and more than 500 delegates from charities and other organizations he had championed.
Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old queen was actively involved in its planning.
The monarch was forced to cut back on her duties last October after spending a night in hospital for an unspecified illness and was advised rest, and has since canceled several planned events. After this there are concerns about his health.
The occasion also marked the first public event for her second son, Prince Andrew, since he made an undisclosed payment to settle a US lawsuit over allegations of sexual assault of a teenage girl decades earlier, a claim he denied. did. ,
The Queen arrived through the abbey’s entrance after falling ill, using a walking stick and making her first public appearance with Andrew.
Prince Harry, who has moved to live in the United States with his wife Meghan, did not attend the service after disagreements with the government over security protections.
‘rare possibility’
David Hoyle, the Dean of Westminster, said of Philip, “A man of rare ability and of a dignified, appropriately respected and famous man never took our attention away from himself.”
Philip, who had married Elizabeth in 1947 at the abbey, where he was still crowned six years later, criticized his wife as the loss of the Empire in her adoption of the monarchy in the changing times of the post-World War II era. saw. Helped and the decline of honor challenged the world. Most prominent royal family.
On its golden anniversary, he described Philip as his “strength and staying power”, known for his no-nonsense attitude and occasional gaffes.
Forced to fend for herself with no clear precedent, she focused on helping youth and promoting environmental issues through her Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.
“It was a long life that was fully lived,” Hoyle said.
Service to a life of one-time royal modernization comes as his grandson and future King Prince William, 38, attempts to move to a future monarchy.
On Monday, three tabloid newspapers ran front-page reports, citing an unnamed source, that said William and his wife Kate wanted to “rip up the rule-book” and do things differently after criticism. Wanted to see parts of their recent week-long Caribbean tour. be “tone”. -deaf” and a return to colonial times.
“This is not a criticism of how it was done in the past. But times are changing,” said the source.