Close to 2,000 guests gathered on March 29, 2022 at Westminster Abbey to honor the remarkable life of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, his devotion to his role as prince consort, and his patronages.Â
The Queen made a decision to attend the service despite her own admission to problems in mobility. She traveled by car from Windsor castle to Central London accompanied by her second son, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.
The Queen, despite her own admission to mobility struggles, managed to stand without her walking stick, during the service. She seated beside the Prince of Wales
Prince Andrew's prominent role
It was Andrew's first public appearance after isolating from public life due to the controversies he got involved in the Epstein scandal.
Queen Elizabeth II relied on the support of her second son, Prince Andrew, during the service
Just a month ago, his sex abuse accuser accepted the out-of-court settlement amounting to millions. It was confirmed he would attend his father's memorial service but no one expected he would be given such a prominent role by being the Queen's escort.
It was the Queen's decision to let her accompany by the Duke of York, said to be her favorite son, and no amount of pressure from the public or the protest from the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge could ever prevent Her Majesty from giving her second son an important role in the service.
The Duke of York was chosen by the Queen as her escort during the memorial service
The state limousine that carried the Queen and the Duke of York drove them to the side door of the church, a location that was not captured in the video.Â
The Princess Royal and Sir Tim Laurence, at the back is Princess Beatrice
The royal family at the memorial service
The Duke of York then walked his mother slowly to the aisle and guided her in the seat next to the Prince of Wales. Andrew seated in the front seat beside the Earl of Wessex.
British royals in solidarity
The service saw the complete attendance of the British royal family, from the Queen's cousins, nephews and nieces, to her great-grandchildren. All, except one. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge brought their children, George and Charlotte, to the service
Zara and Mike Tindall and daughter Mia. At the back, Lord Frederick Windsor and wife, Sophie
The Earl and Countess of Wessex and children, Louise and James
Harry refused to attend due to his ongoing rift with the Home Office over police protection and declared he would never return to England with his wife and children if police protection would not return to him.
How would you assess the stubbornness of Harry?Â
Foreign royals in attendance
Close to 50 foreign royals attended the service including Prince Philip's blood families - German and Greek royals, Bulgarian, Yugoslavian, Romanian, and individuals from the reigning royal houses.
King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letezia
King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia
The following are the one we spotted:
- Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
- King Carl XVI Gustav and Queen Silvia
- King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letezia
- King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands, Queen Maxima and ex-Queen Beatrix
- King Philippe of the Belgians and Queen Mathilde
- Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
- Prince Albert II of Monaco
- Queen Anne-Marie of Greece
- Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and wife, Marie-Chantal
- Prince Philippos (a godson of Prince Philip) and wife, Nina
- Princess Margareta (goddaughter of Prince Philip) and Prince Radu
- Prince Kyril of Bulgaria
- The Hereditary Prince of Baden (great-nephew of Prince Philip) and his wife
- Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia (nephew of Prince Philip) and his wife
- Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain
- Prince El Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath El Hassan of Jordan
Former Dutch Queen Beatrix accompanied her son. King Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands and Queen Maxima
Prince Kyril of Bulgaria and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
During the service, the Queen was seen wiping tears, which made it the first time that Her Majesty was seen crying in public. At her back, her granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, was also seen wiping tears.
Both the Queen and Princess Beatrice shed tears during the service
The Dean of Windsor who co-celebrated the memorial service, called Prince Philip, a remarkable man who had devoted his life to the service of the Commonwealth and to "our queen".
The Queen, Princess Anne and the Duchess of Cornwall worn an Edinburgh green outfit, as a nod to Prince Philip's color livery in his military regiment.
The longest-serving Prince Consort in British history
Born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark on June 10, 1921 in Corfu, Greece, the Duke of Edinburgh married then Princess Elizabeth, his third cousin through Queen Victoria and second cousin-once removed through King Christian IX of Denmark, on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey.
The Queen and Prince Philip were married at Westminster Abbey in November 1947
When his wife became British monarch in February 1952, Philip was forced to leave his decorated naval career and took the role, prince consort, for life. He retired from public office in 2017 at the age of 96. Â
Prince Philip was Britain's longest-serving Prince Consort in history
He was patron to close to 700 organizations and charities. One of his greatest legacies was the establishment of The Duke of Edinburgh Award in 1956, which promotes youth empowerment around the world.
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