Royal sources confirm that the Queen "still hopes" to attend Philip's service, to be held at the abbey on March 29, but may not be mobile enough. Photo / Getty Images
Royal sources confirm that the Queen "still hopes" to attend Philip's service, to be held at the abbey on March 29, but may not be mobile enough. Photo / Getty Images
Yesterday news landed that Prince Harry will not be returning to the UK for Prince Philip's memorial later this month and now the Queen herself is in doubt to attend.
The Duke of Sussex, who is currently based in the US, made the decision not to return to the UKfor his late grandfather's service of thanksgiving and is said to have informed his grandmother, The Queen, just fifteen minutes before announcing the decision in an official statement. The statement read: It read: "The Duke will not be returning to the UK in late March, but hopes to visit his grandmother as soon as possible."
Harry is said to have made the decision not to travel to the UK for the even due to fears his family would be "unsafe" as their official royal security detail had been removed.
Harry is currently fighting the decision to remove his security in court. It was a move that was made when he resigned as a senior royal and decamped to the US.
Prince Harry will not be returning to the UK for Prince Philip's memorial later this month, but says he hopes to visit the Queen soon. Photo / Getty Images
The Queen herself may also miss her late husband's memorial. The 95-year-old monarch has been struggling with her mobility over the past few months and was heard to joke to visitors that she "couldn't move".
Just yesterday it was announced that the Queen would not be attending the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey next week. It is widely understood that the logistical issues related to the Queen's decreasing mobility is the reason she will not attend.
An official royal statement read: "After discussing the arrangements with the Royal Household, The Queen has asked The Prince of Wales to represent Her Majesty at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on Monday."
Just yesterday it was announced that the Queen would not be attending the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey next week. Photo / Getty Images
Royal sources confirm that the Queen "still hopes" to attend Philip's service, to be held at the abbey on March 29, but may not be mobile enough to do so. Insiders also confirm that the Queen has ruled out the idea of using a wheelchair.
A funeral was held for Philip last April at Windsor Castle, however Covid restrictions meant that only 30 people could attend.
The Queen has not attended a royal event since October last year and, if she is unable to make it to an important memorial for the beloved husband, it is unlikely we will see her out and about much in the future, if at all.
