Guests have arrived for The Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey but not every royal is in attendance.
Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet were conspicuously absent from the service despite their parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, arriving earlier this evening.
The three- and one-year-old respectively did not join Harry and Meghan for their tour of England and Germany which has been put on hold due to The Queen’s passing.
Archie and ‘Lili,’ as her parents call her, were granted the titles of Prince and Princess following King Charles’ ascension to the throne. Harry and Meghan, who stepped back as senior royals in 2020, were not granted any new titles.
Most of the royals first met Lilibet back in June when the Sussex’s travelled to the UK for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. A cherished moment Harry mentioned in his personal tribute to his late grandmother.
“Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings — from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren,” Harry wrote.
“I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honour my father in his new role as King Charles III.”
The Queen had made repeated attempts to get Archie and Lilibet back to England before her passing. She was very aware of her declining health, but also she worried for the children’s safety in the US.
“Her Majesty is stunned to learn that they insist on continuing to live in America when their security is quite clearly under threat – she wants them to think of how this might be affecting the children,” a source told New Idea last month.
While the new Prince and Princess did not attend the funeral, their cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were in attendance.
This article originally appeared on our sister site, New Idea.
Want to know more about Queen Elizabeth II’s life and legacy? Read the articles below
The sentimental meaning behind The Queen’s final portrait
Queen Elizabeth II’s life in pictures
How many great-grandchildren did The Queen have?
Who will inherit The Queen’s jewellery?
What you never know about The Queen and Prince Philip
The Queen’s relationship with Princess Diana
What happens now that The Queen has died?
How has the line of succession changed after The Queen’s death?