London: Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, have stepped in on only the second day of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee festivities to represent the Queen, after she withdrew from the St Paul’s Cathedral Service of Thanksgiving, citing discomfort after her brief appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony for Trooping the Colour.
The formal church service also marked the first public appearance together in England by Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, since the couple left for North America in March 2020 – although the pair visited the Queen privately in Windsor in April on their way to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands.
Palace fears that the Sussexes could distract from the celebrations by making unannounced public appearances or pronouncements have so far proved unfounded.
As the couple have stepped back from public duties and are now “non-working” royals, they did not appear in the carriage procession on Thursday or at the palace balcony. The couple gave no statements in their first 24 hours, and Meghan was only spotted by the press through the windows of the Major General’s Office during the festivities, playfully shushing Princess Anne’s grandchildren Savannah, 11, Isa, 10, Mia, 8 and Lena, 3.
A palace spokesman said the 96-year-old Queen had decided “with great reluctance” that she could no longer make the journey from her home at Windsor Castle to attend the service in central London.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive for a service of thanksgiving for the reign of Queen Elizabeth II at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on Friday.Credit:Matt Dunham
A spokesman said: “The Queen greatly enjoyed today’s Birthday Parade and Flypast but did experience some discomfort. 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.”
Prince Andrew was also absent from the thanksgiving service, after he was diagnosed COVID positive during a routine test, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who is ill with both COVID and pneumonia.