Prince Harry + Duchess Meghan
No affront! They had places of honor in Westminster Abbey
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan sat directly behind King Charles and Queen Camilla at the funeral service for Queen Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey.
© Dominic Lipinski / WPA Pool / Getty Images
Hardly any topic is discussed as heatedly as the seating arrangement of the royals at the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth. The focus is primarily on Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan. According to one expert, they should even have had places of honor.
One thing is for sure: Nothing was left to chance at the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth, † 96, on September 19, 2022. This also applies to the seating arrangement of the international and high-ranking guests as well as members of the British royal family itself in Westminster Abbey.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan placed in the second row
There Prince Harry, 38, and Duchess Meghan, 41, took their places in the second row next to other non-working family members – directly behind King Charles, 73, and Queen Camilla, 75. This placement of the Sussexes is a snub By no means, according to a royal historian, they were even given “places of honour”.
“That’s etiquette. If you know what etiquette is, it’s actually a place of honor,” commentator Gareth Russell told Us Weekly, adding, “To sit behind the king is actually a sign of favor.”
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Prince William, 40, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, 40, sat with their children Prince George, 9, and Princess Charlotte, 7, further to the right in the front row. On official occasions like this, members of the royal family usually sit in the pecking order.
King Charles wanted to honor his sister
Russell suggests not taking the Sussexes’ seating arrangement as a snub. He also believes the seating plan for the funeral service may have focused on the Queen’s children rather than her grandchildren. In particular, according to the expert, his sister Princess Anne, 72, is said to have honored him.
Not only has she been considered one of the hardest-working royals for decades, she has also hardly left her deceased mother’s coffin in recent days, accompanying him on transfers and processions across the country. “Giving Princess Anne her rightful place in the 21st century monarchy, [zeigt]that she really is her brother’s confidant,” says the historian.
However, this does not answer the question of whether a much-discussed candle in Westminster Abbey was intentionally placed in such a way that it would cover Duchess Meghan’s face. Twitter users have expressed this assumption in large numbers in the past few days since the ceremony, since the camera shot that showed the British royals blocked the view of the 41-year-old from the large candle.
Sources used: usweekly.com, express.co.uk