Prince Philip Funeral Absentees Full List: Meghan Markle to Sarah Ferguson, here are all the uninvited royals
With funeral preparations underway, the royal family now prepares to bid Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, a final farewell. The ceremony will be held at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, but with only 30 members in attendance in order to maintain Covid-19 protocols.
Under different circumstances, the funeral would have been a much larger event. However, on account of the pandemic, it has been scaled down. There is no public access or public procession taking place. Even the 30 member guest list has been carefully curated since not all of the royal family has been invited to the ceremony. As a result, multiple members of the royal family will not be attending the funeral. Here's a look at who all won't be there.
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Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex
Possibly the most notable royal family member missing the funeral is Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. Markle is currently pregnant with her second child, a girl, and on account of the same was advised not to take the transatlantic flight. She along with her one-year-old son Archie will not be attending the funeral. Her husband, Prince Harry, who is noted to have shared a close relationship with his late grandfather, will be in attendance.
Prince Harry is said to be isolating at Frogmore Cottage along with his cousin Princess Eugenie, having taken the long journey to be a part of the funeral.
Sarah, Duchess of York
The ex-wife of Prince Andrew, son of the Queen and the late Duke of Edinburgh will not be attending the funeral. Her ex-husband, who is fourth in line for the throne, will be in attendance, along with their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
While Prince Andrew and Sarah separated back in 1996, the pair has been on good terms and they even live together at their York family home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor, as reported by Hello! Magazine. Prince Andrew and Sarah had known each other since childhood. The pair went on to get married in 1986, where the Queen bestowed Prince Andrew with the title of Duke of York, while Sarah became Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of York.
However, within a few years of their marriage, the pair seemed to have drifted apart. By 1991, the couple had grown distant and her friendship with Texan multimillionaire Steve Wyatt garnered a lot of attention. The couple announced their separation in March 1992.
Autumn Phillips
The estranged wife of Peter Phillips, the son of Anne, Princess Royal, will not be attending the funeral. Autumn Phillips, along with her daughters, Savannah and Isla were not a part of the 30 members invited to the ceremony.
Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Autumn met her now ex-husband at the 2003 Canadian Grand Prix, while interviewing the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. After living with Peter for a while, the pair announced their engagement in 2007 and married one year later at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Prior to her marriage, Autumn, who was Roman Catholic, was received into the Church of England. Had she not done the same, Peter would have lost his spot of succession in line to the throne. In February of last year, the couple confirmed that they had separated in 2019 and that they intended on getting divorced. However, they both will remain in Gloucestershire to raise their children.
Prince and Princess Micheal of Kent
Prince Micheal and his wife Princess Micheal of Kent will not be in attendance. He is a first cousin to the Queen and the grandson of King George V and Queen Mary. Prince Micheal manages his own consultancy business and takes on commercial work.
He has, however, represented the Queen on occasion at functions in Commonwealth realms outside the UK. At the time of his birth, Prince Micheal was seventh in line for the throne. However, he is now 50th in line for succession. His wife, Princess Michael was born Baroness Marie Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz. She is a member of the Reibnitz family, Silesian (a historical region of Central Europe) nobility who can trace their noble ancestry from 1288.
Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester
The wife of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, will not be attending the funeral. Prince Richard is a first cousin to the Queen and currently 28th in line for the throne.
Birgitte was born Birgitte Eva van Deurs Henriksen, in Odense, Denmark. The couple met in the '60s, while Prince Richard was at Cambridge University. They announced their engagement in 1972 and got married later that year.
Katharine, the Duchess of Kent
The wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, will not be attending the funeral either. Katharine, Duchess of Kent, was born Katharine Lucy Mary. Her husband is a first cousin to the Queen.
The couple married in 1961 at York Minster and were the first royal marriage to take place in that location in 633 years. The Duchess is known to have converted to Catholicism in 1944, with permission from the queen.
Prince George
Son of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catharine, Duchess of Cambridge, 7-year-old Prince George will not be attending his great-grandfather's funeral.
None of the 10 great-grandchildren will be in attendance either.
The royal family issued a statement that announced the sad news of Prince Philip's death: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”
The Duke of Edinburgh, the longest-serving royal consort in British history, was about to turn 100 in June this year. He was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years.