Queen Elizabeth took part in a poignant memorial service honouring her late husband Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday.
The Palace said the Queen has been actively involved in the plans for the service for The Duke of Edinburgh, with many elements reflecting her wishes.
The elderly monarch used a cane as she was accompanied into the Abbey by her son Prince Andrew. The pair walked slowly to her sitting place beside her eldest son, Prince Charles.
Among those attending were Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Andrew, who stepped down from public life over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, had a front row seat, sitting next to his brother the Earl of Wessex and across the aisle from his other siblings.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte were also present in honour of their great-grandfather – the first time they have attended a major public church service.
Westminster Abbey was where the Philip and Elizabeth were married in 1947 and was originally expected to be the venue for his funeral, which was instead held at Windsor Castle due to Covid-19.
International Royalty attends the Duke of Edinburgh Service of Thanksgiving - in pictures
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Spain's Felipe VI and Queen Letizia arrive to attend a Service of Thanksgiving for Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey in central London. AFP -
The Netherlands' Princess Beatrix, Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander arrive. AFP -
Queen Mathilde of Belgium and Philippe of Belgium arriving for the Service of Thanksgiving. PA -
Sweden's Queen Silvia and King Carl XVI arrive. AFP -
Prince Albert II of Monaco at Westminster Abbey. AP Photo -
Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece arrive at the service. Reuters -
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark arrives. AP Photo
The farewell to Philip in St George’s Chapel last April was limited to just 30 people in the midst of the pandemic and mass singing was banned, with the Queen sitting alone and wearing a mask.
Eleven months on, the royal family including the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Cambridges gathered as part of a 1,800-strong congregation for a thanksgiving service in the duke’s honour, a high profile and personally significant occasion for the Queen's beloved late husband.
The Queen's attendance was only confirmed by Buckingham Palace earlier on Tuesday due to concerns over her mobility and overall health.
Tuesday’s service is the Queen’s first major official engagement outside one of her homes for nearly six months, since she travelled to Cardiff to deliver a speech at the Welsh Senedd on October 14.
The 95-year-old head of state pulled out of the Commonwealth Day service earlier this month due to comfort issues and has spoken about not being able to move.
She recently recovered from Covid-19 and appeared fit and well at Windsor last week.
About 30 foreign royals attended, including Prince Albert of Monaco, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe, King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, all of whom would have been on the pre-pandemic guest list.
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Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, prior to his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, saluting as he resumes his attendance at the Royal Naval Officers School in 1947. Getty Images -
Philip Mountbatten, prior to his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, batting at the nets during cricket practice while in the Royal Navy in 1947. Getty Images -
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace shortly before their wedding in 1947. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, on their wedding day in 1947. Getty Images -
Crowds gathering outside Buckingham Palace on the wedding day. Getty Images -
Members of the British royal family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten. Getty Images -
The marriage register of Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, bearing the signatures of Philip and Elizabeth, the King and Queen and members of the Royal Family. Getty Images -
Princess Elizabeth, King George VI, Princess Margaret Rose, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip walking through streets on their way to wedding of Patricia Mountbatten to Baron Brabour. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth talking to Prince Philip (second right), the Duke of Edinburgh, at the Royal Horse Show at Windsor, England. Getty Images -
Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, circa 1952. Getty Images -
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip with their baby daughter Princess Anne following her christening, at Buckingham Palace in 1950. Getty Images -
US President Eisenhower (centre) with the British Royal family: Prince Philip, Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Captain John Eisenhower, at Balmoral Castle in 1959. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and their three children, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew in Balmoral on September 8, 1960. -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip leave Manchester by train in 1961. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip presenting the Jules Rimet trophy to the England captain, Bobby Moore, after the teams World Cup final victory over West Germany in 1966. Getty Images -
Prince Charles wearing a crown and robes after a ceremony where he was invested as the Prince of Wales, with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Caernarvon Castle, Wales, in 1969. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during the Royal Progress trip via boat down the River Thames to mark the Silver Jubilee in 1977. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth ll and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh entertain Sheikh Zayed on board the Royal Yacht Britannia during their State Visit in 1979. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images -
Pope John Paul II with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during a Royal Tour of Italy in 1980. Getty Images -
The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in 1981. Behind them are Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Getty Images -
Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after their marriage ceremony in 1981. Getty Images -
Princess Diana holds her son Prince William in her arms in Buckingham Palace with Prince Charles, Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The Prince was christened in 1982. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip appear with The Queen Mother during celebrations to mark her 101st in 2001. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip ride in the Golden State Carriage at the head of a parade from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral celebrating the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth smiles at the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace as Prince Harry, Prince William, Princess Anne and Prince Philip look on after attending the Trooping of the Colour in 2003. Getty Images -
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh arrive at Ascot Racecourse on June 18, 2008, in Ascot, England. Getty Images -
The Sultan of Oman, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, presents Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II with a gold musical Faberge style egg as Prince Philip watches on at the royal palace in Oman. -
Queen Elizabeth II holding the hand of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh as she arrives to address to the House of Lords, during the State Opening of Parliament in Westminster. EPA -
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (L) and her husband Prince Philip (R) stand next to the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan during a Ceremonial Welcome in the town of Windsor, west of London, on April 30, 2013. AFP -
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II speaks to Prince Philip on the Queen's Stand during the Epsom Derby Day on Saturday, 2014. EPA -
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh look at their homemade wedding anniversary card, given to them by their great grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle ahead of their 73rd wedding anniversary. Getty Images
The duke’s wider family and friends were there, along with 500 representatives from his patronages and charities.
Also invited were Sir David Attenborough, Dame Floella Benjamin, Baroness Grey-Thompson and members of the military who were involved in the funeral, including Pipe Major Colour Sergeant Peter Grant and the Grenadier Guards Bearer Party.
The Dean of Windsor, the Right Reverend David Conner, delivered a seven-minute address during the service which was televised on the BBC
In recognition of Philip’s long-held relationship with the armed forces, the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth will provide music before and after.
Pieces included the upbeat The Seafarers, as well as the moving Pacific theme by Blake Neely and Hans Zimmer, composed for the HBO mini-series about a US marine corps fighting in the Pacific during the Second World War.
Philip served as First Lieutenant on the destroyer HMS Whelp in the Pacific, where he helped to rescue two airmen in 1945 whose bomber crashed into the ocean during the Allies’ Operation Meridian II against the Japanese.
Flowers in the church were in shades of patriotic red, white and blue, with larger arrangements featuring blue eryngium — known as sea holly — a nod to the duke’s career in the Royal Navy, and his lifelong affection for the sea.
Also there was the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the Duke of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Prince Andrew had been expected to arrive alongside his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and their husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank.
Prince Harry and his wife, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are not returning from the US for the service.
