Why Queen Elizabeth II sat alone at Prince Philip’s funeral

It is an image that takes the world’s breath away.

April 17th Prince PhilipThe longest serving British royal consort was buried in St. George’s Chapel after a memorial service. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the gathering was small – there were only 30 members of the royal family in attendance – but just as poignant. And there was no picture that pointed more to the loss of the family in those historic times than that of Queen Elizabeth the second She sat alone in a bank and mourned Philip, her almost 74-year-old husband.

Because of the pandemic, royal attendees sat at a safe distance from each other, mostly wearing face masks while inside. The image of the grieving monarch contrasted sharply with just three years earlier, when she sat in the same bench next to her beloved husband for her grandson’s wedding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

When the family finally said goodbye to the Duke of Edinburgh, the sovereign said goodbye to their life partner with a note that was on their stationery and placed on his coffin. It partially read, “I love you.”