Kate Middleton, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillip ‘may bring their older children’ to today’s memorial service for Prince Philip to honour their ‘much-loved’ great-grandfather, royal experts claim
- Duke of Edinburgh’s older great-grandchildren might attend today’s service
- Five eldest are Savannah Phillips, 11, Isla Phillips, 10, Prince George, eight, Mia Tindall, eight, and Princess Charlotte, six
- Seven of the Duke of Edinburgh’s eight grandchildren will also turn out
Some of Prince Philip’s older great-grandchildren may attend his memorial service today to pay tribute to their beloved great-grandfather, royal experts have revealed.
This could include the Duke of Edinburgh’s five eldest great-grandchildren: Autumn and Peter Phillips’ daughters Savannah, 11, and Isla, 10; Zara and Mike Tindall’s daughter Mia, eight; and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s two oldest Prince George, eight, and Princess Charlotte, six.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s other great-grandchildren are Prince Louis, three, Lena Tindall, also three, and her one-year-old brother Lucas, Princess Eugenie’s one-year-old son August Brooksbank and Princess Beatrice’s daughter Sienna Mapelli Mozz, who was born in September last year.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s children, Archie, two, and Lilibet, nine months, remain with the couple in California.
Some of Prince Philip’s older great-grandchildren are expected to attend his memorial service today to pay tribute to their beloved great-grandfather, royal experts have revealed. This could include the older Cambridge children Prince George, eight, and Princess Charlotte, six
Older grandchildren could also include Mia Tindall, left, Isla Phillips, centre, and Savannah Phillips, right
The Queen and Prince Philip with Prince George, Prince Louis, Savannah Phillips, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips holding Lena Tindall, and Mia Tindall. The Duke of Edinburgh died before the birth of his youngest grandchildren Lilibet and Sienna
The Westminster Abbey service will be attended by some 1,800 guests including senior members of the Royal Family.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s four children will be in attendance, as will Charles, Anne and Edward’s respective spouses, the Duchess of Cornwall, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy and the Countess of Wessex.
Prince Andrew will make a rare public appearance and there is speculation the Duchess of York might have also been given an invitation.
Seven of Prince Philip’s eight grandchildren will be there, including the Duke of Cambridge, Zara Tindall and Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, all of whom will attend with their spouses.
The only grandchild missing the event is the Duke of Sussex.
The Queen and Prince Philip’s family tree, showing the older great-grandchildren who might attend today’s service
The Queen is said to be determined to travel to London to mark the long and productive life of her husband Philip in what would be her first major public engagement away from Windsor Castle in nearly six months.
Royal aides revealed the 95-year-old monarch has been ‘actively involved’ in plans for the service at Westminster Abbey ‘with many elements reflecting Her Majesty’s wishes’ as the order of service was unveiled overnight.
It includes several elements the duke had planned for his funeral in April last year but which were forbidden by Covid restrictions at the time.
Among them is the involvement of Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) gold award winners and Sea Cadets, his expressed wish for the congregation to sing the rousing hymn Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer, and for clergy from the royal estates of Windsor, Sandringham and Balmoral to play a special part.
His funeral at St George’s Chapel in Windsor was limited to just 30 mourners in the midst of the pandemic and mass singing was banned, with the Queen sitting alone in a mask.
Around 1,800 guests are due at today’s service, including British and European royalty, representatives of the many charities of which the duke was patron or president, Boris and Carrie Johnson, and Sir David Attenborough.
Prince Harry faces ‘lifetime of regret’ for missing memorial to his beloved grandfather
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle could ‘regret’ not attending the memorial service for his grandfather Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey tomorrow – and the Queen is likely to be ‘very upset’ but cannot change his mind, royal experts say.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expected to remain at home in Montecito, California, while the rest of the Royal Family gather in London for the poignant event.
Harry last returned to the UK eight months ago to unveil the statue of his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales in London on July 1 with his brother Prince William.
The Duke – one of the Queen and Philip’s eight grandchildren – is the only top-level royal not attending tomorrow’s service which was organised by the monarch.
Royal author Phil Dampier told MailOnline: ‘It’s very sad that Harry and Meghan won’t be at Prince Philip’s memorial service and I think one day Harry might regret it. He has said that he doesn’t feel safe without Scotland Yard security but to me that sounds like an excuse not to come back to the UK and indicates the rift with his blood family is still bad.
‘Harry was always very fond of his grandfather and was deeply honoured when he took over from him as Captain General of the Royal Marines, but sadly that didn’t last long. The pair attended some Remembrance Day events together and there was always a rapport between them, both being serving military men who had seen active service.’
Mr Dampier said that Harry ‘loved’ Philip’s sense of humour and praised him in interviews, adding that this makes his non-attendance ‘all the more mystifying and strange’.
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