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Her Majesty’s first major official engagement since delivering a speech at the Welsh Senedd on 14 October was the Thanksgiving Service. The Queen was visibly moved as she attended Prince Philip’s memorial service, her first major public appearance in months. She drove to the Thanksgiving Service in a car with Prince Andrew, a move that will be interpreted as a clear signal of the monarch’s support for her son.
The Duke of York escorted her into Westminster Abbey after they arrived from Windsor Castle. The monarch walked slowly and gingerly to her seat, holding the duke’s elbow in her left hand and a walking stick in her right, and she appeared emotional throughout the service. Concerns about the monarch’s health have caused her to miss some events in recent months, and there were fears she would be forced to miss today’s service. In a small procession, the Queen and her son entered the abbey through Poets’ Corner, a shorter route for her comfort. When they got to the end of the aisle, they parted ways, with Andrew giving his mother one last look before turning right to take her seat next to Prince Charles. The Duke of York sat in the front row, but across the aisle from his brother, Prince Edward. Between the Queen and Andrew were the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Princess Royal, and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence. Attendees sang a stirring rendition of the hymn Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer, also known as Bread Of Heaven – one of Philip’s funeral requests that had been denied due to COVID rules. The entrance to the abbey was lined with Duke of Edinburgh Award winners and members of the youth UK Cadet Force associations, and prayers were said by clergy from Windsor, Sandringham, and Balmoral – other missing gestures from last year’s memorial.
When the service was over, Andrew escorted her out of the abbey, and they were photographed leaving in a car together. It’s been more than a month since Prince Andrew reached a settlement with his accuser Virginia Giuffre, in which he promised to make a “substantial donation” to her charity regarding victims of sex trafficking. The Queen stripped her second son of his prestigious honorary military titles and royal patronages in January, and he stopped using his HRH style, effectively cutting him off from the institution.
Members of the royal family were in attendance, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, two of their children, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. The service was skipped by Prince Harry and Meghan. In contrast to Philip’s funeral at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, where only 30 people were allowed due to COVID-19 restrictions and the Queen sat alone due to social distancing rules, the abbey was packed with 1,800 people.
Bill Sweeney, the head of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), stated that he would prefer to appoint an English successor to head coach Eddie Jones. Sweeney has backed Jones, who is under pressure following two disappointing Six Nations campaigns. Australian Jones is under contract with the RFU until the end of the Rugby World Cup in 2023. Bill Sweeney and Conor O'Shea, the performance director, were quick to point out […]
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