London – AFP
Prince Harry and his wife Megan Merkel joined the royal family on Friday in their first public appearance in Britain in two years, to participate in a prayer of thanksgiving held at a cathedral in London, for the intention of Queen Elizabeth II, who celebrates her platinum jubilee.
However, the chances of all family members meeting on Friday faded following his grandmother was forced to be absent due to “some distress” Thursday during the launch of four-day celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.
The 96-year-old will follow the ceremonies on the small screen because of her difficulty walking and standing, forcing her to cancel her participation in a number of events since last year.
On Thursday, she appeared twice from the balcony of Buckingham Palace in central London, following the Trooping the Color military parade.
Evening was at Windsor Castle for lamp-lighting ceremonies across the country and in the 54 Commonwealth nations of which she also presides.
Her absence, which the palace said she received “with great hesitation”, casts doubt on her attendance at Saturday’s horse derby.
The Queen has only missed the iconic race three times since her coronation, most recently in 2020 when attendance was banned due to Covid.
In front of St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Stephanie Stitt, 35, a fan of the royal family, said she was “a little disappointed” by the Queen’s absence.
However, the event manager, who joined tens of thousands of revelers Thursday on Mall Avenue, said the decision not to attend was “understandable because she is 96 years old.”
The Queen’s second son, Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his official duties due to his relations with two people convicted of sexual abuse, and was absent from Thursday’s events, will also miss Friday’s prayer ceremonies following contracting Covid.
However, Crown Prince Charles, 73, will represent her once more as the oldest member of the royal family, following participating on her behalf in the traditional “Tropping the Color” parade when he saluted the soldiers on horseback.
More than 400 people were invited to Friday’s prayer service, including health and social workers, to thank them for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bible readings, prayers and hymns were chosen to reflect what the palace said was the queen’s “dedicated life of service”.
After the ceremony, the largest church bell in the country, which weighs 16.5 tons, will ring.
The Queen received congratulations on her record-breaking accession to the throne from world leaders, including North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The British government confirmed plans for a post-Brexit phase of returning to the symbol of the crown on the pint cups, in a move it said was a “decent tribute” to the Queen.
It also launched a survey on allowing goods to be sold in imperial units (the British imperial system) following the European Union had prioritized metric.
Harry, a former British army captain, and his biracial American television actress wife Meghan were once seen as the modern face of the monarchy following their marriage in 2018.
But less than two years later, they gave up their royal titles and moved to the United States, drawing a number of offensive criticisms.
Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, set up a charitable association in California but angered palace fans following they pulled out and later revealed details regarding royal life in a resounding television interview.
And a recent YouGov poll showed that their popularity with the British had fallen to an all-time low. Nearly two thirds of the respondents (63 percent) had a negative opinion of them.
Upon the arrival of Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as they are officially called, cheers erupted from the crowds gathered in front of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Harry, 37, a former British army captain, wore a jacket with military medals, while Meghan, 40, wore a white dress and matching hat.
At the sound of the bells, they entered the cathedral and sat among the audience, including the last five British prime ministers.
On Thursday, they attended the show, out of sight from another building, following being excluded from the palace balcony because they no longer held any official duties in the royal family.
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