Two brothers… worlds apart: Prince Harry laughs and jokes in his seat at St Paul’s while Prince William appears awkward and uneasy as he enters Jubilee service
- Prince Harry was pictured laughing and joking in his seat at the Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen today
- Duke of Sussex was seated at the opposite side to his brother Prince William who appeared to look uneasy
- Queen missed the event following after she experienced ‘discomfort’ at Trooping The Colour yesterday
- * Follow MailOnline’s liveblog covering the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations today by clicking here *
- Latest Platinum Jubilee news as the Queen celebrates 70 years of service
Prince Harry was pictured laughing and joking in his seat at the Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen today after he was seated at the opposite side to his brother Prince William who appeared to look uneasy.
The eyes of the world were on the Sussexes at the Platinum Jubilee thanksgiving service this morning as they joined hundreds of politicians and dignitaries in supporting the Queen and the extended Royal family.
Harry, 37, was pictured in hysterics as he spoke with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands next to his wife Meghan, while Prince William and Kate appeared tense as they took their seats for the Jubilee ceremony.
The couple were one of the first to arrive at the cathedral today, with Meghan donning a cream coat dress and matching hat, while Harry wore a smart suit adorned with his medals.
Harry has reportedly hardly seen his father and brother since he emigrated to California with his wife Meghan, who has also ‘not made contact’.
Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge appeared to look on edge as they took their seats in the cathedral.
A photo of Harry and Meghan, 40, leaving Westminster Abbey after the Commonwealth Service in March 2020 – was the couple’s final outing as frontline royals – laid bare the rift their decision to quit had caused. The Duke of Sussex appeared seething next to his smiling wife, as they followed Harry’s frowning father, brother and their wives up the aisle.
Since that glacial moment, they have used Oprah, US TV news stations and friendly podcasts to fire transatlantic potshots, including claims one senior member was racist and that Buckingham Palace aides ignored Meghan when she was suicidal while pregnant. Harry also accused Prince Charles of cutting him off financially.
The couple have now marked their first event in two years alongside the Royal Family since they stepped down as working royals.
Prince Charles is officially representing the 96-year-old monarch at the service in London this morning after the Queen pulled out due to mobility issues.
Prince Harry was seated at the opposite side to his brother Prince William who appeared to look uneasy as he entered St Paul’s Cathedral
Prince Harry was pictured laughing and joking in his seat at the Service of Thanksgiving as he spoke with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands next to his wife Meghan
Prince William appeared to look uneasy as he entered the cathedral and also as he took his seat at the front of the church
Harry has reportedly hardly seen his father and brother since he emigrated to California with his wife Meghan, who has also ‘not made contact’
Meghan smiled as Harry as the couple took their seats before the service started – marking their first even alongside the Royal Family in two years
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge appeared to look on edge as they took their seats in the cathedral.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, London
Her Majesty will miss the event following a last-minute decision announced by Buckingham Palace at 7.30pm yesterday after she experienced ‘discomfort’ during Trooping The Colour events earlier in the day.
There will also be no appearance at St Paul’s from Prince Andrew after he tested positive for coronavirus. The Queen will be watching the service from her Berkshire residence, and it will be broadcast nationally on BBC One.
Political guests arrived ahead of the royals, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie, former prime minister Sir Tony Blair and his wife Cherie, Sir John Major and other ex-prime ministers Gordon Brown, Theresa May and David Cameron, and their spouses. Cabinet ministers Sajid Javid and Liz Truss were also there.
Soon after, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon arrived with her husband, and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Members of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force lined up on either side of the Great West Door.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had seats in the second row of the congregation, with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands, and Lady Sarah Chatto, the daughter of Princess Margaret, and her family.
Harry and Meghan were seated behind the Earl and Countess of Wessex who are in the front row with their children, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Across the aisle, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who have ornate chairs, had seats alongside them for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Tim Laurence.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning
Prince Charles and Camilla arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral this morning
Prince Harry arrives at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning to celebrate his grandmother’s Platinum Jubilee
Prince Harry looks up at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning as he celebrates his grandmother’s Platinum Jubilee
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning
Harry and Meghan arrive at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning to celebrate his grandmother’s Platinum Jubilee
Harry and Meghan arrive at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning to celebrate his grandmother’s Platinum Jubilee
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning
The Duchess of Cambridge arrives for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning
The Earl and Countess of Wessex arrive with their children Louise and James for the service at St Paul’s Cathedral today
Earlier, a member of the Royal Air Force in the military guard of honour lining the steps to St Paul’s collapsed, but was able to get to his feet and was helped away. Then, a second member of the military personnel also collapsed, but was also able to get to his feet and was helped away on foot, despite a stretcher being brought out.
The Queen is understood to have had episodic mobility issues yesterday – and, in a statement, Buckingham Palace revealed the Queen ‘greatly enjoyed’ her birthday parade and flypast but ‘did experience some discomfort’.
Where and when can I watch the Platinum Jubilee celebrations?
Here is a rundown of what will happen today and for the next two days as the nation pays tribute to the Queen’s 70 years as sovereign during the Platinum Jubilee weekend, and where to watch the events on television.
TODAY
- From 9.15am on BBC One, Sophie Raworth meets many of the key people taking part in a special service of thanksgiving, while from the BBC’s Platinum Jubilee Studio at St James’ Park, Kirsty Young is joined by special guests.
- 11am – The royal family begin to arrive for a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral.
- 11.30am – The service begins, broadcast on BBC One with commentary from David Dimbleby inside St Paul’s.
- 12.25pm – Members of the royal family attend a Guildhall reception hosted by the Lord Mayor.
TOMORROW
- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter Lilibet celebrates her first birthday.
- Senior royals tour the UK, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visiting Cardiff Castle to meet stars ahead of a jubilee concert, the Princess Royal taking part in an animal-handling session at Edinburgh Zoo and the Earl and Countess of Wessex travelling to Northern Ireland.
- 4.30pm – The Epsom Derby takes place. Avid racegoer the Queen is no longer planning to attend, although members of the royal family are expected to be there. Ed Chamberlin presents racing coverage on ITV from 12.40pm. A guard of honour, made of up to 40 of the Queen’s past and present jockeys, is due to line the course.
- 7.40pm – Royals arrive at the BBC’s Platinum Party at the Palace concert. Coverage begins on BBC One from 7.30pm with Kirsty Young in St James’s Park, and Roman Kemp backstage.
- 8pm-10.30pm – The open-air show in front of the palace, features stars including Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Duran Duran and Diana Ross.
SUNDAY
- Street parties and Big Jubilee Lunches are staged across the country.
- Coverage begins on BBC One from 1pm with commentary from Clare Balding, while Kirsty Young, AJ Odudu, Anita Rani, Anton Du Beke, Sophie Morgan and Owain Wyn Evans report on street parties across the UK.
- The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall join a flagship feast at The Oval cricket ground in south London, while Edward and Sophie meet people creating the ‘Long Table’ down on The Long Walk leading up to Windsor Castle.
- 2.30pm-5pm – The Jubilee Pageant takes place in central London, with a 3km carnival procession featuring a cast of thousands including puppets, celebrities and tributes to the seven decades of the Queen’s reign.
- It will move from Horse Guards, along Whitehall to Admiralty Arch, and down The Mall to the Palace.
- The finale will feature Ed Sheeran performing and singing the national anthem with close to 200 national treasures in front of the Queen’s official residence.
- It is hoped the Queen will make a balcony appearance as the festivities come to a close.
- At 8pm on BBC Two, Kirsty Young looks back at the weekend of celebrations.
It said: ‘Taking into account the journey and activity required to participate in tomorrow’s National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, Her Majesty, with great reluctance, has concluded that she will not attend.’
It is understood the decision ahead of the service, which begins at 11.30am today, was considered regrettable but sensible due to the length of the journey and time involved and the physical demands the service would require.
Senior members of the monarchy attending this morning also include the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who will be joined by the extended royal family.
Tributes will be paid to the Queen’s ’70 years of faithful and dedicated service’ in front of 2,000 people including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Cabinet ministers, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and former prime ministers.
Public service is the theme at the heart of the religious event, with 400 people who are recipients of honours, including NHS and key workers who were recognised for their work during the pandemic, invited.
The Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, will deliver the sermon to the congregation after stepping in at the 11th hour after the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, contracted Covid-19.
Hundreds of people gathered outside St Paul’s, some wearing Union flag hats and others hanging flags and bunting over the railings on the approach to the cathedral – and many guests had their photographs taken outside the Great West Door, where members of the Royal family are also due to enter the cathedral for the event.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was cheered as he passed by the crowds already amassing outside, although the numbers appeared to be smaller than those seen at the Trooping the Colour festivities yesterday.
Today will be a first joint engagement with senior royals for Meghan and Harry since the frosty Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in March 2020 shortly before they officially stepped down as senior royals.
And while the couple are set to remain below radar in public, the Queen had lunch with them and other senior royals behind closed doors yesterday – and also met her great-granddaughter Lilibet for the first time.
The Sussexes introduced their little girl to the Queen – nicknamed Lilibet as a child – yesterday at Windsor after attending a private Royal Family lunch at Buckingham Palace following Trooping the Colour.
Harry and Meghan are expected to remain mostly low-profile over the four-day Jubilee weekend, with no sign of the Netflix cameras that followed them around at the Invictus Games in the Netherlands in April.
The Sussexes, who are staying at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor while visiting from California, were not allowed on the Buckingham Palace balcony yesterday and instead watched proceedings from Horse Guards Parade.
Meanwhile key workers, charity volunteers and members of the armed forces have been invited to the Queen’s service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s today in recognition of their contribution to public life.
More than 400 people, who have been making a difference either nationally or locally, are among the guests and many have been working tirelessly during the pandemic.
They will join members of the royal family at St Paul’s Cathedral to celebrate the monarch’s 70-year reign, although the Queen herself will not attend after experiencing ‘some discomfort’ during Thursday’s events following previous mobility issues.
The Bishop of London said today that she is ‘excited’ ahead of the thanksgiving service. Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, who will be leading the blessing at St Paul’s, told BBC Breakfast: ‘I’m excited, I think.’
She added that she was nervous about the ceremonial regalia she needs to wear. ‘It’s a coat called the George V coat.
The order of service for today’s Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London which begins at 11.30am today
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s today
Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral today
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s today
Princess Anne arrives at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
The Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall and her husband Mike Tindall attend the thanksgiving service at St Paul’s today
Princess Michael of Kent arrives at the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson look at each other next to Liz Truss and Priti Patel this morning
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson attend the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral today
Former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron at St Paul’s Cathedral in London today
Crowds gather before a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London today
Former prime minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral today
Ex-prime minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral today
Former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown arrive for the Service of Thanksgiving held at St Paul’s Cathedral today
Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning
A Guard of Honour outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning ahead of the Service of Thanksgiving
Guests take their seats inside St Paul’s Cathedral in London for the National Service of Thanksgiving this morning
A Guard of Honour outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London this morning ahead of the Service of Thanksgiving
‘It’s quite an old coat, which is a cape and it sits on me, but of course it was designed for men because I’m the first woman who happens to be the Bishop of London,’ she said. ‘So, it doesn’t sit quite as well on me, so I’m slightly nervous.’
She said that Her Majesty’s Christian faith has ‘always shaped her’ and she feels privileged to play a part in the service and ‘give thanks’ to The Queen for her service to the country.
And the Dean of St Paul’s said today’s thanksgiving service represents the nation ‘picking up the baton’ from The Queen as a thank you for her years of service.
The Very Revd Dr David Ison told BBC Breakfast: ‘I think, for me, what this service is about, is saying not only thank you, but also we are picking up the baton of what The Queen has done. We ourselves are committing to how we can make the world a better place.’
He said of the service: ‘I always get nervous. You can’t help it because you want it to go well and therefore you’re nervous to make sure it does goes well and worried about what might go wrong.’
He also spoke about an incident during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee when his cape ripped.
‘I put on my cape and I was bounding down the stairs of the vestry and I caught the cape on the door latch and ripped it and this is in the afternoon, before the service.
‘So, they had an emergency embroiderer who came in early in the morning to stitch it back up again.’
Later, Dr David will say in The Bidding: ‘We come together in this Cathedral Church today to offer to God our thanks and praise for the reign of Her Majesty the Queen and especially for her 70 years of faithful and dedicated service.
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