King Charles
The reason for the empty seat in front of him in the church
The seat in front of King Charles was left empty at the service in honor of the Queen at St. George’s Chapel.
© ASSOCIATED PRESS / Jonathan Brady / Picture Alliance
At a service in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, the mourners said goodbye to Queen Elizabeth again. The front rows of the church were filled with members of the British royal family. Only one seat left empty…
The world bids farewell to Queen Elizabeth, † 96. After a big funeral service in London’s Westminster Abbey, the coffin of the record monarch was transferred to Windsor. Here, in St. George’s Chapel, another service was held, attended by invited guests. As in the morning, their closest family members took their seats in the front rows of the chapel. However, an empty seat in the front row raised questions.
King Charles: The seat in front of him remained empty
Ironically, in front of King Charles, 73, who followed the service in the second row next to Queen Camilla, 75, and next to Prince Edward, 58, nobody sat down. It was quickly speculated whether the space was perhaps symbolically free for a deceased member of the royal family. In fact, there is a regulation laid down in the royal protocol, which was also observed at today’s service.
The royal protocol applies to special events
As reported by the British “Express”, among others, nobody is allowed to sit in front of the reigning monarch at events of this kind. This is to ensure that the monarch has a clear and unobstructed view of what is happening. This regulation could already be observed at past events. For example, at the wedding of Princess Eugenie, 32, and Jack Brooksbank, 36, a seat on the pew remained empty in St. George’s Chapel.
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The protocol was followed accordingly at the wedding of Prince Harry, 37, and Duchess Meghan, 41, in 2018, so that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip could enjoy an unrestricted relationship in front of the second row. At the time, however, rumors circulated that Harry had reserved the space in honor of his late mother, Princess Diana, † 36.
Sources used: mirror.co.uk, thesun.co.uk