In London, Queen Elizabeth II reappeared in public for the first time in five months. She did it to pay homage to the memory of her husband, Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in a religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The monarch was surrounded by the entire family and entered and left the church on the arm of Andrea, the second son, who ended up in the storm for the Epstein scandal that forced him to retire to private life last year.
It was also the first time that the Duke of York had returned to public commitments after being forced to retire and deprived of military titles. It’s only a few weeks ago that his lawyers managed to close the out-of-court settlement for a millionaire compensation with Virginia Giuffrè, the woman who accused him of having sex with her when he was little more than a child. The fact that the Queen arrived in London from Windsor Castle – where she now spends most of her time – in a car with Andrea and wanted to lean on his arm indicates a clear demonstration of support for what, according to many, is the most beloved son. The third child was reserved a front row seat, together with his brother Edward and his wife Sophie. There was “The Firm” in full force lined up under the high vaults of the Gothic abbey. Prince Charles with his wife Camilla and Princess Anna, as well as Prince William and his wife Kate, along with their two eldest children, George and Charlotte. Not only the queen, but also the Duchess of Cornwall and Princess Anna dressed in dark green: probably a subtle reference to the prince, who had the color of the livery of his page boys and his cars in the dark green.
Great absentees, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, remained in the Californian “good retreat” where they moved in 2020 after breaking up with the rest of the clan. The Duke of Sussex fears that his wife and children are not safe on British soil and had asked for police protection in view of a possible return to London, to protect them from the paparazzi. He also asked for a judicial review of the Interior Ministry’s decision to deny him this guarantee. It is yet another headache for the elderly monarch, who will turn 96 on 21 April. Despite her slow and unsteady step, the queen appeared in good health, supported by the cane, but not in a wheelchair. She didn’t shed any tears (perhaps a sneaky one) but she was visibly moved. She has had two very difficult years (the death of her husband and the legal troubles of her son, in the months in which the country was fighting against the pandemic) and now she has to count on the new generation of grandchildren. Especially William and Kate, the darlings of the public, who, however, after the unfortunate tour in the Caribbean (between protests, canceled events and image slips) will now have to imagine a strategy to reinvent the monarchy of the future.