- Devastating photos taken at Prince Philip's funeral service at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Saturday show the Queen sitting alone at the service in complete isolation.
- The Queen was required to sit alone at the service due to COVID-19 restrictions, which require that people not in the same household sit at least two meters apart. Since the Queen spent much of the last year isolating with Philip and members of their household staff, she was not able to sit with other members of the royal family who attended the service.
- The photos capture the Queen's grief and sadness and prompted some commentators to recall the statement she made 20 years ago, following the September 11 attacks, when she said that, "Grief is the price we pay for love."
The Queen broke hearts around the globe today when images of her sitting alone at the funeral of her husband, Prince Philip, were released.
The poignant photos capture the grief and sadness Queen Elizabeth II is clearly experiencing following her loss. During the funeral, some commentators were reminded of a message the Queen shared about grief and loss nearly 20 years ago, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the United States.
"Grief is the price we pay for love," the Queen said at the time, in a message of support for those who lost loved ones during the attacks. The sentiment is one many believe the Queen is reflecting on personally now, as she adjusts to life without Philip, who she wed in 1947.
The Queen was joined by several members of the royal family (and by millions of others, remotely around the world) as she mourned Philip's death and paid her respects to her husband of 73 years. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, other members of the royal family were not able to be physically close to the Queen during the funeral service.
As CNN reports, all guests at the funeral who were not members of the same household were required to sit two meters apart. Since the Queen spent much of the last year isolating in a bubble with Philip and members of their household staff, she was not able to sit close to other members of her family during the service, which was held in St. George's Chapel in Windsor.
The guest list for the service was also limited by COVID-19 restrictions, with just 30 people able to gather in person for the funeral. Among the select guests at the service was Prince Harry, who also had to sit alone, distanced from other mourners by at least two meters, since he has been quarantining in California with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their son, Archie, since last spring.
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