Inside The 'Difficult Decisions' Queen Elizabeth Had To Make About Prince Philip's Funeral
The royal family has been firmly back in the spotlight after Buckingham Palace confirmed the death of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's husband of more than 70 years, on April 9, 2021. The royals made the sad announcement in a statement, which confirmed the Duke of Edinburgh had died "peacefully" at home in Windsor Castle.
Since then, attention was turned firmly to Philip's funeral as royal watchers speculated over who would publicly mourn the queen's late husband, who died just two months before his 100th birthday. Whether or not Prince Harry would fly back to the U.K. from his home in California had many people talking, as Harry's tension with his family appeared to be at an all-time high in the wake of his and wife Meghan Markle's shocking March 2021 tell-all with Oprah Winfrey. It was confirmed that Harry will attend, but Meghan had been advised not to travel due to her second pregnancy.
It's since been revealed that the queen has had to make a few "difficult decisions" when it comes to the burial of her husband. Keep reading for all the details.
The queen made tough calls on behalf of her family
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed (via People) that Queen Elizabeth, who will sit alone during the ceremony, had to "make some difficult decisions" about Prince Philip's funeral because of coronavirus-related restrictions. On April 17, 2021, only 30 people will be allowed to gather to pay their respects, meaning the queen had to make some tough calls on attendees. The spokesperson noted, "We are dealing with a family funeral and at its heart it is still a family event." They didn't confirm if Philip shared his thoughts on who he would like to attend before his death, though Sky News claimed he'd "handpicked many of his funeral arrangements."
Philip's funeral will also have extra precautions, per People. Everyone attending will have to wear a mask inside St. George's Chapel, including the queen. Prince Harry and Prince William will not walk together behind Prince Philip's coffin, not due to "perceptions of drama," the palace said (via People), but because of a "practical change." Instead, Peter Phillips, their cousin, will walk in between them, per People. It's not known if that was a decision made personally by the queen. Sky News also reported there will be no singing from guests and only a choir or four will sing.
We're just hoping everything runs smoothly for the royals at Prince Philip's funeral. It can't have been easy for the queen to have to make so many tough calls for her husband of 73 years.