Britain’s Queen Elizabeth made her first public appearance in five months on Tuesday when she joined the royal family and other dignitaries at a memorial service to her “remarkable” husband Prince Philip, who died last year.
Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who was by his wife’s side for more than seven decades, passed away at their Windsor Castle home in April, two months shy of his 100th birthday.
Only 30 mourners were able to attend his funeral service then due to strict coronavirus rules, which meant the queen poignantly sat alone as her husband of 73 years was lowered into the Royal Vault of St George’s Chapel of the castle.
Tuesday’s service of thanksgiving at London’s Westminster Abbey was a much bigger event, with the queen joining her son and heir, Prince Charles, his son William and wife Kate and other members of the royal family, including their children.
The 95-year-old monarch has been forced to cut back on her duties since she spent a night in hospital last October for an unspecified illness and was advised to rest, and there have been concerns about her health after she cancelled a number of planned engagements since then.
She quipped at an engagement in February that she could not move much, but on Tuesday arrived via a side entrance to the Abbey for her first appearance in public since falling ill, using a walking stick but otherwise appearing well.
Alongside her was second son Prince Andrew, who accompanied her by car from Windsor for what was his first public event since he made an undisclosed payment to settle a U.S. lawsuit over allegations he sexually assaulted a teenage girl decades ago, claims he has denied.
Joining them 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 representatives from charities and other organisations he championed.
Prince George, 8, and Princess Charlotte, 6, made a surprise appearance at Prince Philip’s memorial service on Tuesday.
The siblings — who are on their Easter break from school — arrived at Westminster Abbey with their parents shortly before the start of the service.
While Kate and William’s youngest child, Prince Louis, 3, was deemed too young to attend the service, George and Charlotte were joined by their cousins — Savannah and Isla Phillips, the children of Peter Phillips, and Mia Tindall, who accompanied her parents Zara and Mike Tindall.
Tuesday’s service also marks the first public outing for William and Kate since they returned from their royal tour of the Caribbean on Sunday.
