Here's How Queen Elizabeth Made An Entrance At Prince Philip's Memorial
On March 29, a memorial service was held after Prince Philip's heartbreaking death, who passed away at the age of 99 in April 2021 (via the BBC). At the time, Buckingham Palace issued a statement following his death that read, "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband," adding, "The royal family join with people around the world in mourning his loss."
Ultimately, the COVID-19 pandemic affected how the royal family was able to mourn Philip's death. Now, however, nearly a year after his death, Queen Elizabeth, the royal family, and their close allies held a Service of Thanksgiving in his honor (via Town and Country). The family held a proper funeral service for him last year, but due to the pandemic, the guest list was narrow, only allowing 30 guests.
The Service of Thanksgiving was held at Westminster Abbey, with most of the family showing up for the affair. However, it was Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip's widow, who made the most striking entrance at the somber event.
Elizabeth entered her husband's service with her disgraced son
Queen Elizabeth has not made a public appearance in several months, as noted by CNN. However, she was in attendance at her late husband, Prince Philip's, memorial service early this week. She wasn't the only royal family member stepping into the public eye for the first time in months, though. Her disgraced son, Prince Andrew, was also in attendance, seen entering with his mother.
While the queen stripped Andrew of his titles, the two were seen arm-in-arm at the service as he helped walk his mother to her seat upon her arrival, per Andy Snowden's reporting on Twitter.
According to People, the queen insisted on having Andrew escort her to the service. Royal commentator Robert Jobson further said this move had symbolism. "It shows she wholeheartedly loves and believes her son," Jobson explained. "As she did when she made a statement about Camilla being queen's consort, many people will now accept the queen's word and judgment."
"She has faith in Andrew. Even if he disappears from public life, he's been able to pay tribute to his father, who after all, was very proud of his service in the Royal Navy, where he fought in the Falkland Islands conflict," Jobson continued. Ultimately, it's unclear where Queen Elizabeth's relationship with Andrew stands, but her actions appear to support him.