An affair of protocol And precautions
In a virtually empty chapel, the 30 mourners were obliged to respect social distancing, writes Roya Nikkhah
THE seating arrangements f for th the D Duke k of f Edinburgh’s funeral were a mix of ancient and very, very modern – where the protocols of centuries of tradition collided with UK government rules imposed to deal with a pandemic.
Just 30 mourners were admitted to St George’s Chapel, Windsor, with Queen Elizabeth to the fore, sitting alone in a face mask, socially distanced from her family, who were scattered in pockets on either side of the quire.
They all wore masks.
The mourners were arranged in order of seniority, first the Queen’s children and then her grandchildren, alternating from one side of the aisle to the other.
The arrangement meant that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sat across the chapel from the Duke of Sussex, the feuding brothers separate but looking at each other over the tomb of Henry VIII. It was the first time the brothers had met in person for more than a year and the first time since Prince Harry’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Opposite the Queen were the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
In line with the ancient rules of royal primogeniture, which were only changed a few years ago to allow women their place in the line of succession, the Queen’s nearest companion was the Duke of York, who was three seats away, ahead of his older sister the Princess Royal and her husband Vice-admiral Sir Tim Laurence. On Charles and Camilla’s side of the chapel were the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their two children and, a little further down, William and Kate.
Behind them sat Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and
Zara Phillips with their respective husbands, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Jack Brooksbank and Mike Tindall, the former England rugby player.
The Tindalls named their third child, born a month ago, Lucas Philip, in tribute to his greatgrandfather the duke. Peter Phillips, Zara’s brother, was on that side of the chapel, like Harry seated alone.
Buckingham Palace said the
Queen faced “some very difficult d decisions” i i ” i in d drawing i up a guest t list of only 30. To honour her husband’s wishes, she included three of his German relatives, two great nephews and a distant cousin – descendants of Philip’s sisters, who married German princes and were denied their places at his wedding in 1947 because of anti-german sentiment at the time. They were seated at the rear of the chapel.
Also taking her seat in the quire was Philip’s close friend, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, 68. She is the wife of Earl Mountbatten of Burma, who is the grandson of Philip’s uncle.
Buckingham Palace said the earl
Just 30 mourners were admitted to St George’s Chapel, Windsor, with Queen Elizabeth to the fore, sitting alone in a face mask
was unwell and unable to go to the funeral, with the countess “attending as his representative”. She was a close confidante of Philip despite a 30-year age difference. The duke taught her to drive a horse-drawn carriage.
Others present included the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent; the Earl of Snowdon and Lady Sarah Chatto, the children of the late Princess Margaret; and Princess Alexandra who is not only the Queen’s first cousin but also a cousin once removed to the duke.
Other members of the family unable to attend included the Duchess of Sussex who is in California, expecting her second child. She watched the service on a private livestream.
The Times