Voice of Commonwealth

A personal tribute from the Queen to her husband

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LONDON (CU)_In her first public appearance in five months, Queen Elizabeth II arrived at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday (29th March). The 95-year-old monarch was seen using a walking stick as she entered the abbey alongside her second son Prince Andrew, to pay a personal tribute to her husband Prince Philip. 

The thanksgiving service for the Duke of Edinburgh is held in celebration of his public service and a “long life lived fully”. Her Majesty was joined by other senior members of the Royal Family, including Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was also among the other guests who attended the memorial for Prince Philip, who died last year aged 99.

PA MEDIA

It is reported that Her Majesty insisted on being actively involved in elements of the event despite problems with her mobility, which forced her to pull out of the Commonwealth Service earlier this month. Westminster Abbey, at which the memorial is being held, is where the couple got married and where Prince Philip pledged to be her “liege man of life and limb” at her coronation.

The Queen has been “actively involved in the plans for today’s Service of Thanksgiving, with many elements reflecting Her Majesty’s wishes,” the palace said.

The Duke of Edinburgh died on 9 April, 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted gatherings including funerals and memorials. Accordingly, the Duke’s funeral was limited to 30 guests, producing a memorable image of the Queen sitting alone. The Tuesday’s service, which is also being attended by European royalty and members of Prince Philip’s former staff, will include elements that had been planned for his funeral, like the lining of the entry of the abbey with Duke of Edinburgh gold award winners. Hymns sung at the occasion will include Guide me, O thou great redeemer, also intended for the funeral, along with music by Beethoven, JS Bach, Vaughan Williams, Wagner and William Byrd. 

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