Queen leads British royals back to official duties

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II returned to royal duties on Tuesday, four days after the death of her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The 94-year-old queen marked the retirement of her household’s most senior official, the former Lord Chamberlain, Earl Peel.

Her return to duties came as preparations were under way for the duke’s funeral at Windsor Castle, in south-east England, on Saturday.

The royal family and their households were observing two weeks of mourning, with members “continuing to undertake engagements appropriate to the circumstances”, an official said.

Mr Peel had overseen arrangements for the duke’s funeral before handing responsibility to his successor.

Now in charge is former MI5 director general Baron Andrew Parker, who took up the role on April 1, following Mr Peel’s retirement after more than 14 years in the post.

The lord chamberlain oversees all senior appointments in the royal household and is the channel of communication between the monarch and the House of Lords, the unelected upper house of the UK’s legislature.

Meanwhile, as part of security preparations for Saturday’s funeral, Thames Valley Police are carrying out searches around Windsor, examining phone boxes, post boxes, drains and bins.

A police official said they put visible and covert security measures in place for Saturday, when the duke is to be honoured with a ceremonial royal funeral at St George’s Chapel.

It is thought the funeral could attract one of the largest television audiences of the year so far.

The biggest is the 25.1 million people who watched Prime Minister Boris Johnson announce a national coronavirus lockdown on January 4.