On Tuesday, Queen Elizabeth II overcame significant health difficulties to attend a Westminster Abbey memorial service for her late husband, Prince Philip.
She did so by approaching the enormous church through a side entrance to minimize the walk to her chair.
The Somber Occasion
The monarch walked inside the abbey on the forearm of her son, Prince Andrew, before distancing herself from him and walking to her chair alone.
This ended up allaying fears about undefined “mobility difficulties” that curtailed her media speeches in recent years.
After Andrew resolved a lawsuit related to his friendship with the late, convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, her selection of escorts will be perceived as a sign of support for him.
Elizabeth skipped a Commonwealth Day ceremony at Westminster Abbey earlier in the month after recovering from COVID-19, but she kept her other scheduled commitments.
The 95-year-old king was heavily involved in the organization of the event, which featured hymns and memorials from charities that Philip sponsored. Due to pandemic control procedures, such touches were not allowed during his burial last year.
👑 The Queen attends the memorial service for Prince Phillip.
Follow the latest here ⬇️https://t.co/Pqf5Ut1T7y
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 29, 2022
The memorial drew over 1,800 family members and other people. Only 30 guests were permitted to attend the funeral.
It was held under extreme lockdown conditions, forcing her majesty to sit alone in a black face mask as she suffered the loss of her husband. The Duke of Edinburgh, Philip, passed on April 9th, at the age of 99.
Philip’s devotion to the queen, commitment to environmental preservation, and dedication to giving young folks the skills needed to succeed via his Duke of Edinburgh Award was recalled by the Rev. David Conner.
A Life Well-lived
“Through his ardent devotion, he drew others about himself in deep respect, as well as true affection in the instance of those who worked and lived closest to him,” Conner said.
There were also more subdued accolades, which the royals frequently bestow through their wardrobe choices.
Elizabeth, Princess Anne, as well as Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, wore dark green gowns that matched Philip’s livery color of Edinburgh Emerald.
📸 The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at Prince Phillip's memorial servicehttps://t.co/XNmm2l2pET pic.twitter.com/asozA5qaNS
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 29, 2022
Doyin Sonibare, 28, was also dressed in green, having achieved the Duke of Edinburgh Award, which was established by Philip to educate young people about courage and life skills via outdoor programs and community service.
Since 1956, upwards of 6.7 million youths and young adults have participated in the program.
Sonibare provided the main homage to Philip, praising him for designing a program that enabled her to earn her first job, proceeds to university, and now pursue a Ph.D. in sickle cell study.
The curriculum culminates in an overnight trek, which terrified a youngster from East London that had never camped before and was afraid of climbing steep slopes.
“I remember thinking I’d slip up, roll down a mountain, and Doyin would be out,” she explained.
“Lucky, that didn’t really happen to me. Even though I was 18 and worried about my career at the time, I remember knowing if I can finish this journey, I can accomplish anything.”
