The Queen Is Expected to Sit Alone at Prince Philip's Funeral

published 16 April 2021

The Queen will most likely sit alone at Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday, due to COVID-19 restrctions.
On Thursday, Buckingham Palace announced the list of guests who will attend.
Philip died last Friday at the age of 99.

The Queen is likely to sit alone at Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday, the Independent reports, as a result of government restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 30 guests will be permitted to attend the funeral, which will take place at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Philip died last Friday, April 9, at the age of 99.

U.K. government rules do not allow indoor mixing between different households (with the exception of people who live alone, who may form "support bubbles") though the restrictions are slightly looser for events such as funerals, enabling services to take place indoors. The Queen will still be required to maintain social distancing in the chapel, meaning she must sit at least two meters away (about 6.5 feet) from all other guests. The monarch could sit next to a member of her Windsor Castle household staff, but no staff members were mentioned on the list of guests released by Buckingham Palace Thursday.

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All four of the Queen and Prince Philip's children will attend Saturday's funeral: Prince Charles and wife Camilla, Duchess of Sussex; Prince Anne and husband Sir Timothy Lawrence; Prince Edward and wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex; and Prince Andrew.

Their eight grandchildren will also attend: Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge; Prince Harry (Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was advised not to travel to the U.K. due to her pregnancy); Peter Phillips; Zara Tindall and husband Mike Tindall; Princess Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi; Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank; Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor; and James, Viscount Severn. None of Philip's great-grandchildren, who are considered too young for the televised event, will attend the service.

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.