London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 21, 2026

Queen attends Prince Philip memorial service at Westminster Abbey

Queen attends Prince Philip memorial service at Westminster Abbey

The Queen has joined her family at a memorial service to celebrate the life of the Duke of Edinburgh.

Her son the Duke of York - in his first public appearance since settling a civil sex assault case - accompanied her to Westminster Abbey.

Prince Philip, who died last year aged 99, was described as a "remarkable man" committed to "down-to-earth" causes.

The service was organised as Covid rules meant his funeral, held almost a year ago, had only 30 people present.

Representatives of many of his charities - including the Duke of Edinburgh Award - attended Tuesday's service, which had 1,800 people in attendance.

It was the first major event this year attended by the 95-year-old monarch, who travelled by car from Windsor Castle with Prince Andrew.

There had been doubts she would attend, and she only made the final decision in the hours before the service.

The Queen has had mobility problems and had to pull out of the Commonwealth Service earlier this month. She also tested positive for Covid in February.

Special measures were put in place for her comfort, including keeping the length of the service to 45 minutes.

Amid these health concerns, there was nervousness on Tuesday morning among people awaiting confirmation that the Queen would be able to attend, our BBC's royal correspondent Sean Coughlan says.

The Queen arrived at the service with Prince Andrew


Unlike the funeral in Windsor last April, where the Queen was poignantly pictured sitting alone, she had close family members in all the seats around her.

The Queen and Prince Philip's two elder children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, were sitting in the same row as her.

Prince William and his wife Catherine were in the row directly behind along with two of the Queen's great-grandchildren, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The Queen's other two sons, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, also had front row seats, across the aisle from the Queen.

But Prince Harry, who has been in a legal dispute over the provision of security, did not travel from California, where he lives.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte attended the service with their parents

The Duchess of Cornwall was among those - including the Queen and Princess Royal - choosing to wear dark green for the service

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie attended with their husbands


Political leaders including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer were among the guests, as were representatives from European royal families, including from the duke's native Greece.

The service was stamped with the personality of Prince Philip, with many of the elements originally intended for his funeral at St George's Chapel included.

Those elements included the entry to Westminster Abbey being lined by Duke of Edinburgh gold award winners as mourners arrived.

Duke of Edinburgh gold award winner Doyin Sonibare gave a speech describing the opportunities the award had opened up to her


One winner of the prestigious award, Doyin Sonibare, gave a speech where she explained she originally wasn't "sold on the idea", as she had never been camping before and had a fear of climbing steep hills.

The 28-year-old award ambassador from east London said: "I kept thinking I was going to trip up, roll down the mountain and 'it's lights out for Doyin'. Fortunately for me, that didn't happen.

"I remember thinking to myself, if I could complete this expedition, I can do anything."

The hymn Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer, also intended for the funeral, was sung, and there was music by Beethoven, JS Bach, Wagner, Vaughan Williams and William Byrd heard during the service.

The Queen is also said to have been closely involved in the planning of the service.

Dean of Windsor David Conner - a long-time friend of Prince Philip who also conducted his funeral - told the congregation at this service that the duke's life "bore the marks of sacrifice and service".

"Certainly, he could show great sympathy and kindness. There is no doubt that he had a delightfully engaging, and often self-deprecating, sense of humour.

"It is quite clear that his mind held together both speculation and common sense. Moreover, nobody would ever doubt his loyalty and deep devotion to our Queen and to their family."

The Queen and Prince Philip, pictured in 2020, were married in November 1947


He told the congregation the duke was "practical" and "devoted his astonishing intellectual and physical energy, his enormous capacity for sheer hard work, to a host of down-to-earth enterprises".

"These included the equipping of young people to face tomorrow's challenges, the encouragement of respect and care for the natural order, and his pioneering work in facilitating conversation between representatives of the different world faiths," he said.

He also pointed out that the duke could be "abrupt" and sometimes "forget just how intimidating he could be".

"A kind of natural reserve sometimes made him seem a little distant. He could be somewhat sharp in pricking what he thought to be bubbles of pomposity or sycophancy.

"On the other hand, we should not forget that he himself was sometimes wounded by being unfairly criticised or misunderstood.


A long life lived fully

This thanksgiving service brought together the strands of Prince Philip's life: his wife of 73 years, his family, his charities, his military connections, his sense of public duty.

But in his sermon, the Dean of Windsor, David Conner, said Prince Philip would have hated to have been remembered as a "plaster saint".

He described a real-life man, full of energy and ideas, but who had no patience for pomposity or flattery.

There was also attention on the real-life frailties of the Queen, who walked to her seat as the first hymn had started.

She sat in the same church where she was married to Prince Philip, stick at her side, with four generations of her family present and decades of memories.

Prince Andrew, making his own reappearance at a public event, had helped her to walk into the abbey.

It was an historic setting for an historic occasion, with prayers for a "long life lived fully".

With the abbey bells ringing, a choir singing and crowds in the streets outside, this was something of the bigger funeral that Covid prevented last year.

The Queen and Prince Philip had been married for 73 years and in her Christmas message the Queen spoke in unusually personal terms about the loss of her "beloved" Philip.

The flowers on display at the memorial service included orchids, a reference to the orchids in the Queen's wedding bouquet. She and Prince Philip were married in 1947 at Westminster Abbey.

The Queen and Prince Philip on honeymoon in 1947

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh with Prince Charles and Princess Anne as children in 1951


Representatives of some of the 700 charitable organisations that he supported were present, ranging from the Outward Bound Trust and Voluntary Services Overseas to the Caravan and Motorhome Club.

Many of his charities had a focus on inspiring young people and giving them wider opportunities. There was also an emphasis on conservation and protecting the environment.

Prince Philip's love of the sea and his links with the Armed Forces were heard during the service in the music of the Royal Marines band, which concluded with a piece called The Seafarers.

The Queen, Duchess of Cornwall and Princess Royal all wore dark green for the service - a similar shade to Edinburgh Green, the duke's livery colour.


Watch: Service of remembrance to honour Prince Philip


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Miliband Sets Climate and International Law at Centre of UK Diplomacy
US Gasoline Returns to $4 as Renewed Iran Fighting Disrupts Oil Flows
Czech Central Bank Governor Rejects Early Euro Entry and Rate-Cut Pressure
Trump Orders 50% Tariffs on Selected Canadian Imports
Pentagon Discloses Nearly 100 US Troop Injuries During Renewed Iran Fighting
Trump Readies New Tariffs as Temporary Global Levy Nears Expiry
US Judge Pauses Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery Merger Over Antitrust Concerns
NHS England Faces Growing Retention Pressure Among Younger Midwives
UK Data Centre Expansion Faces Water and Grid Capacity Challenges
UK Defence Shares Rise After John Healey Appointment and Continued Spending Commitments
OECD Urges UK Government to Review Pension Triple Lock to Protect Public Finances
Bank of England Keeps Cautious Approach as Energy Costs Threaten Inflation Progress
County Councils Call for Wider Devolution and Long-Term Social Care Funding Reform
IMF Urges UK Government to Maintain Fiscal Discipline as Growth Forecast Slows
Russian Warship Holds Live-Fire Exercises Near UK Coast as Royal Navy Monitors Activity
Mitie Agrees Three Point One Billion Pound Takeover by OCS in Another Blow to London Listings
JPMorgan Chase Warns Bank Levies Could Hit UK Growth and Drive Capital Away
UK Unemployment Holds at Four Point Nine Percent as Labour Market Shows Resilience
UK Government Borrowing Falls Below Forecasts as Treasury Receives Early Fiscal Boost
John Healey Cuts VAT on Household Electricity Bills After Cancelling National Digital ID Scheme
Andy Burnham Forms New Labour Government With Ten-Year National Renewal Plan
EU Imposes Record €550 Million Digital Services Fine on AliExpress
UK Publishes Updated Consumption-Based Carbon Emissions Data
English Regions Prepare for Expanded Devolution and Infrastructure Powers
Russell Group Backs New Government and Calls for Stronger University-Industry Links
Bank of England Maintains Restrictive Monetary Policy Amid Persistent Inflation
Climate Progress Report Renews Debate Over the UK's Net Zero Strategy
New UK Government Launches Drive to End Rough Sleeping and Expand Social Housing
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Appoints John Healey as Chancellor in Cabinet Reshuffle
OECD Calls for Structural Reforms as UK Economy Faces Slower Growth
International Monetary Fund Expects UK Economic Growth to Slow to One Percent in 2026
Andy Burnham Takes Office as UK Prime Minister and Unveils Decade-Long Reform Agenda
London’s Housing Starts Collapse as Planning and Building Costs Stall Development
Charlie Sheen’s Daughter: "My Dad Didn’t Buy Me a House, My Breasts Bought It"
Vivienne Westwood Casts Cicciolina, 74, in Its New Autumn Campaign
Dejavu: Germany’s Military Expansion Reshapes Europe’s Strategic Balance With France
Naturally Conceived Identical Quadruplets Born in Rare Brisbane Delivery
Tate Brothers Fight British Extradition Bid After Miami Arrests
Burnham Reshapes Britain’s Government Around Living Costs, Devolution and Security
Jingye Demands Full Compensation After Britain illegally Nationalized British Steel
Just Another Liar or a Robin Hood? Andy Burnham Pledges Cost-of-Living Help in First Speech as UK Prime Minister
Morgan Stanley Builds a Wall Street Lead in AI Infrastructure Finance
High Prices Push Coffee Drinkers Toward Whole Beans and Home Brewing
Trump Draws Boos and Podium Scrutiny at Spain’s World Cup Triumph
Brilliant move: Péter Magyar Moves to Nominate Chess Grandmaster Judit Polgár as Hungary’s President
Spain Defeats Argentina in Extra Time to Win Second World Cup
Police Block Cockroach Janta Party’s March to Parliament as Education Protests Intensify
Current AI Seeks to Build an Open Global AI Infrastructure Outside Big Tech Control
Turkey Explores S-400 Transfer to UAE in Bid to Rejoin F-35 Program
Josh Kerr Breaks Twenty-Seven-Year World Mile Record at London Diamond League
×