Inside Queen Elizabeth's First Official Appearance Since Prince Philip's Funeral
While Queen Elizabeth is still mourning the death of her husband, Prince Philip, she is also slowly getting back to her royal duties. "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband," a statement from Buckingham Palace read on April 9 (via BBC News). "The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss."
As sympathies for the queen flooded in from around the world, many watched as Philip's funeral took place on April 17. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the entire ceremony was stripped down, and only 30 guests attended the funeral in-person. Some of those guests included Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, and of course, Queen Elizabeth herself, who heart-wrenchingly sat alone during the ceremony.
Shortly after Philip's funeral, the queen celebrated her 95th birthday on April 21, though it was reportedly also a very subdued affair. While she did thank people for their well wishes on her birthday, the queen also noted that her family was still "in a period of great sadness" in a statement released via Twitter.
Now, less than two weeks after Philip's funeral, the queen is back at her royal duties. Keep reading to learn about her first official public appearance since her husband's death.
Queen Elizabeth is easing back into royal duties
As Queen Elizabeth continues to mourn her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, she is also easing back into her royal duties and public appearances. While she did make a public appearance at Philip's funeral, the queen has otherwise stayed out of the public eye over the past few weeks, opting to mourn in privacy. On April 27, however, the queen made her first official public appearance, proving that she's still business as usual, even in a time of mourning.
According to People, the queen conducted two virtual audiences from Windsor Castle, where she has spent much of her time quarantining, marking her official transition back into royal duties. The queen virtually spoke with Ivita Burmistre, an ambassador from the Republic of Latvia, and Sara Affoue Amani, an ambassador from the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. During the meetings, the queen chats with the ambassadors and is even seen smiling.
As the queen continues to delve back into her royal duties, we will likely see more public appearances from her in the near future.