The Queen had some difficult decisions to make when it came to the guest list. Photo / Getty Images
The Queen had some difficult decisions to make when it came to the guest list. Photo / Getty Images
The thirty guests at Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday have been revealed, including his "daredevil" best female friend, the spouses of his grandchildren and even his German cousins - but not Sarah Ferguson, whom he famously wanted "nothing to do" with.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement that the Queen had some "difficult" decisions to make regarding the Covid-safe guest list and tried to make sure all branches of her husband's family could be there, reports the Daily Mail.
The 67-year-old Countess of Mountbatten, Penelope Knatchbull, will join the Queen, her and Philip's four children, eight grandchildren and their spouses at the service at St George's Chapel on Saturday. Philip and Penny were close friends, often pictured together at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.
Jack Brooksbank, the husband of Eugenie, daughter of the duchess and the Duke of York, and Beatrice's husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are also included on the list.
And three of Prince Philip's German relations, whose ancestors weren't invited to Elizabeth and Philip's wedding due to anti-German sentiment following World War II, will be in attendance.
The guest list also includes the Queen's first cousins Princess Alexandra, the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent, loyal supporters of the monarch and her husband.
The children of the Queen's late sister Princess Margaret, the Earl of Snowdon and Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband David Chatto are also invited.
Other guests include Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Princess Royal and husband Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke of Sussex, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their spouses, Peter Phillips and Zara and Mike Tindall.
Prince Philip's close friend Penelope Knatchbull will be in attendance. Photo / Getty Images
There are a few notable names missing from the list. These include the Queen's cousin Prince Michael of Kent, 78, who is no longer a working royal, as well as the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duchess of Kent, and Prince Michael's often controversial wife Princess Michael of Kent. The Duke's great grandchildren, including Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, were all considered too young to attend.
But perhaps the most prominent name not included on the list is Harry's wife Meghan Markle, who has stayed in Los Angeles.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "At its heart it is still a family event.
Prince Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson won't be attending. Photo / Getty Images
"We are following the Covid guidelines. There was a limit on who could be invited as a guest and Her Majesty wanted to ensure that all branches of the duke's family were there, and had to make some very difficult decisions about who would be there.
"For those that unfortunately can't be there, I'm sure they will be making their own private arrangements about how they commemorate the duke, and indeed celebrate the duke."
The full list of attendees for Prince Philip's funeral at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle:
1. Queen Elizabeth II 2. Prince Charles 3. Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall 4. Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge 5. Duchess of Cambridge 6. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex 7. Prince Andrew, the Duke of York 8. Princess Beatrice 9. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi 10. Princess Eugenie 11. Jack Brooksbank 12. Prince Edward 13. Countess of Wessex 14. Lady Louise Windsor 15. Viscount Severn 16. Princess Anne 17. Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence 18. Peter Phillips 19. Zara Phillips 20. Mike Tindall 21. Earl of Snowdon 22. Lady Sarah Chatto 23. Daniel Chatto 24. Duke of Gloucester 25. Duke of Kent 26. Princess Alexandra 27. Bernhard, Hereditary Prince of Baden 28. Prince Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse 29. Prince Philipp of Hohenlohe-Langenburg 30. The Countess Mountbatten of Burma
