Queen Elizabeth honors Prince Philip at funeral

Written by Michael Holden

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth made her first appearance in five months on Tuesday, joining the royal family and other dignitaries at a memorial service for her husband Prince Philip, who died last year.

Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who had been by his wife’s side for more than seven decades, died at his Windsor Castle home in April, two months before his 100th birthday.

Only 30 people were able to attend the funeral due to strict coronavirus rules, meaning the Queen sat alone as her 73-year-old husband was laid to rest in the royal vault at the castle’s St George’s Chapel.

Tuesday’s Thanksgiving service at London’s Westminster Abbey was a much bigger event, with the Queen joined by her son and heir Prince Charles, William’s grandson and his wife Kate and other family members. Real, including your children.

The 95-year-old has had to scale back her duties since spending a night in hospital last October with an unspecified illness and was advised to rest, and there have been concerns about her health after she has canceled a number of planned engagements since then.

She joked in February that she couldn’t move much, but on Tuesday she arrived via a side entrance to the monastery in her first public appearance since falling ill, using a cane but looking good.

David Hoyle, Dean of Westminster, said Philip was a “wonderful man” and “no one will doubt his loyalty and deep devotion to our Queen”.