Queen Elizabeth appears to have returned to her royal duties on Tuesday, 4 days after her husband, Prince Philip, passed away.
The 94-year-old attended a retirement ceremony at Windsor Castle for a senior royal official, according to the Court Circular, the official record keeper of royal engagements.
The Queen’s attendance was for Lord Chamberlain Earl Peel, who recently retired as the royal household’s most senior official just days before the Duke of Edinburgh’s death. He oversaw the funeral arrangements for Prince Philip.
“Earl Peel had an audience of The Queen today, delivered up his Wand and Insignia of Office as Lord Chamberlain and the Badge of Chancellor of the Royal Victorian Order and took leave upon relinquishing his appointment as Lord Chamberlain, when Her Majesty invested him with the Royal Victorian Chain,” the Court Circular detailed.
The royal family is observing two weeks of mourning for Philip, who passed away at 99 years of age on Friday. The UK’s national mourning will continue until the morning after his funeral at St. George’s Chapel on April 17.
The late royal’s funeral will have just 30 people in attendance due to Covid-19 restrictions. Prince Harry arrived in his native Britain on Sunday morning to quarantine for 5 days ahead of the funeral, but without wife Meghan Markle, who is due to give birth to the couple’s baby girl this summer. A palace spokesperson confirmed on Saturday that Meghan’s physician advised her not to accompany Harry overseas.
Royal expert Kinsey Schofield explained to Access Hollywood why Prince Harry isn’t expected to wear his traditional uniform and the reason why he may be seated alone at the funeral.
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