Queen and senior royals gather in moving remembrance of Philip
Front and centre of the high-profile occasion was Prince Andrew in his first public appearance since he paid a £7 million settlement to Virginia Giuffre
The Right Reverend David Conner described the duke as a “remarkable man” who was committed to “a host of down-to-earth enterprises”.
He pointed out that the duke could be “abrupt”, and suggested that at times he could forget “just how intimidating he could be”.
Princess Beatrice was seen to give a small chuckle as the Dean remarked: “He could be somewhat sharp in pricking what he thought to be bubbles of pomposity or sycophancy.”
The monarch, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Princess Royal were all dressed in dark green - seen as a special tribute to Philip, whose livery colour was Edinburgh Green.
The Service of Thanksgiving for the life of the Duke of Edinburgh
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Others throughout the congregation also wore the shade, including Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award holder Doyin Sonibare, who delivered a special tribute about the effect Philip’s youth scheme had on her life.
The Queen stopped to speak to Ms Sonibare at the end of the service, with the monarch smiling broadly as she expressed her appreciation for her speech.
Ms Sonibare said “She thanked me for my speech - she was lovely, really kind. And she asked what I did for my Duke of Edinburgh’s award.”
The 28-year-old, who has an ambassador role with the award, said: “I just got a message from my mum, she said ‘Congratulations, really proud of you’.”
The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn leaving
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She added of her own green outfit: “I think it was just a crazy coincidence if I’m honest, but it’s quite nice, like we’re all in sync.”
The monarch was heavily involved in arrangements for the service which featured elements Philip planned for his own funeral which were forbidden due to Covid-19 restrictions.
A rousing rendition of the hymn Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer - also known as Bread Of Heaven - was one of his particular requests, but congregational singing was banned at the time of his death.
Eleven months on, those who knew and loved Philip sang the anthem with gusto as the song echoed around the vast church.
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Other missing gestures from Philip’s pre-pandemic Forth Bridge plans saw Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award holders and members of the youth UK Cadet Force associations line the steps of the abbey, and prayers being said by the clergy from Windsor, Sandringham and Balmoral.
Special arrangements were put in place for the Queen’s comfort, with the service limited to 40 minutes and the monarch sitting in one of the Canada chairs but with an additional cushion.
The difficulty for the Queen, who has confessed to not being able to move, was understood to be whether the monarch would be able to walk to her seat.
