Queen Elizabeth II’s Appearance at the State Opening of Parliament Was Heartbreaking
Queen Elizabeth II and the British royal family are moving forward just a month after the death of Prince Philip. The prince died at age 99 peacefully in his sleep. A devoted member of the British royal family, the prince had been by the queen’s side since their wedding day in 1947.
With Prince Philip gone, the queen has been leaning on Prince Charles and Prince William to keep the British royal family modern and relevant in an age where people are questioning the monarchy, especially following Megxit and the fall out from Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry’s shocking interview with Oprah.
However, following Prince Philip‘s death, nothing will ever be the same, and the queen’s appearance at the State Opening of Parliament is evidence of that.
Queen Elizabeth II has returned to work after Prince Philip’s death
Following Prince Philip’s death and into the days leading into his funeral, the queen entered into an eight-day mourning period. During that time, she took on no royal duties, all of the affairs of the state were paused and the flags were lowered to half-mast.
However, following the prince’s funeral, the queen has returned to work, holding a virtual audience from her current estate at Windsor Castle. She also celebrated her 95th birthday on April 21. She released a statement thanking the public for their support.
“While as a family we are in a period of great sadness, it has been a comfort to us all to see and to hear the tributes paid to my husband, from those within the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and around the world,” she said in the statement via Town & Country. “My family and I would like to thank you all for the support and kindness shown to us in recent days. We have been deeply touched, and continue to be reminded that Philip had such an extraordinary impact on countless people throughout his life.”
The British royal family is changing quickly
Shortly after Prince Philip’s funeral, fans spotted a major change on The Royal Family’s social media accounts. The accounts replaced an older photo of the queen and the prince with a solo photo of the queen from Feb. 2020.
Moreover, as Prince Charles takes on more responsibilities as he prepares for his upcoming role as king, he is looking to form a more slimmed-down monarchy that will focus on himself, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
But those are not the only big changes in the royal fold.
Queen Elizabeth II’s appearance at the State Opening of Parliament was heartbreaking
On May 11, the queen returned to London from Windsor to attend the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster. Royal fans and experts immediately noticed that the Consort’s Throne, which was Prince Philip’s chair had been removed from the House of Lords.
Instead, Prince Charles and Camilla sat near the queen in Chairs of State. This is not the first time Prince Charles has attending the opening with his mother. He attended December 2019, October 2019, and in June 2017 when Prince Philip was ill.
However, the removal of Prince Philip’s throne marks an end of an era.
