Royal watchers weren’t sure if Queen Elizabeth would be able to attend Prince Philip’s official memorial service, but the Queen made an appearance with her son, Prince Andrew.
The Queen spent a night in the hospital last October, and her health has not quite been the same since. Earlier this year, she contracted COVID-19, resulting in additional issues.
Queen Elizabeth did arrive at Philip’s memorial service on Tuesday morning, though she entered through a side door instead of the main entrance to avoid walking down the long aisle of Westminster Abbey.
However, some royal watchers were shocked to see Prince Andrew walking with his mother.
Queen Elizabeth attends Prince Philip’s memorial service with Prince Andrew
Many people did not expect the Queen to arrive with Prince Andrew on her arm as it had only been six weeks since his sexual assault lawsuit was settled.
Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit claiming she was forced to have sexual relations with Andrew via Jeffrey Epstein. Although Andrew has consistently denied sexually assaulting Giuffre, he and his legal team agreed to settle the lawsuit.
According to People magazine, some royal experts believe this action is the Queen making a statement about Andrew and how she feels about him.
Royal commentator Robert Jobson said, “It shows she wholeheartedly loves and believes her son. As she did when she made a statement about Camilla being Queen’s Consort, many people will not accept the Queen’s word and judgment.”
Jobson also said that many senior members of the family were unsettled with the idea of Andrew walking her in the ceremony, “but she insisted.”
Jobson added, “It does make some sense that he accompany her because he doesn’t have a partner. A settlement has been paid, but he’s guilty of nothing in the eyes of the law. 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.”
Although it sounds as if the Queen was planning on having Andrew attend the ceremony by her side, the Queen wasn’t sure about attending the ceremony until the day of.
Queen Elizabeth made a same-day decision to attend Prince Philip’s memorial service
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died last April at 99 years old, but the family could not have a proper service due to COVID-19 and restrictions. Since then, Queen Elizabeth, 95, has had a slew of health problems herself.
It was revealed that she hoped and planned to attend Philip’s memorial service, but a decision wasn’t going to be set in stone until the day of the ceremony.
She has had to cancel several events due to COVID-19, along with her mobility issues and other health concerns. She has started using a walking cane to help her move around.
Her health and mobility have created a plethora of issues for the Queen as she hasn’t been able to walk her corgis since October, either. Despite her issues, she did stand for prayers and songs throughout Philip’s service.
Who else attended Prince Philip’s memorial service?
Prince William and Kate Middleton, alongside their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, also attended the memorial service. William and Kate just recently returned from their trip to the Caribbean, where they visited Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas.
This was Prince Andrew’s first public appearance since he settled his lawsuit. His daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and their husbands attended the memorial service as well.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not attend the service, as Harry previously announced he would not be attending.