Royals Visit Regularly To Support The Queen Following Prince Philip's Passing

Apr 19, 2021

The funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on April 17, 2021, was a quiet affair with only 30 people in attendance due to the coronavirus restrictions. Generally, a man of Philips's stature would have received a state funeral with a minimum of 800 people in attendance, but that could not happen due to the ongoing pandemic. The safety of the funeral guests, many of older age themselves, had to be kept in mind. The guestlist of 30 people only comprised of the closest royal family members. The funeral was, in some ways, a segue for the family to heal after a tumultuous time.

The Duke of Edinburgh was the oldest living male member of the British royal family and third longest-living member overall after he surpassed the late Princess Alice of Albany, who died aged 97, in 2019. At age 94, his wife, Queen Elizabeth II, holds place number six on the list of longest-living British royals. The enduring love between Elizabeth and Philip will always be one for the ages.

Their love budded when they were very young, and unlike other royal marriages that are often arranged, Elizabeth and Philip married for love. After doing so, they have remained each other's steadfast companions and have supported one another through devastating times. While Elizabeth had the responsibility of becoming a queen thrust upon her early on, Philip had to make compromises and sacrifices to support the new queen. Through his actions and devotion towards his wife, Philip became the perfect example of a royal consort and will remain an inspiration for decades to come.

With Philip now no longer around to support Elizabeth through her duties, British news outlets are reporting that the Queen is thinking of permanently relocating to Windsor Palace where Philip's coffin has now been moved. She has slowly been giving over more of her responsibilities over to Prince Charles and Prince William, and while she will continue to use Buckingham Palace as an office, it is unlikely that she will spend another night there. This move may be a way for the Queen to be closer to Philip, whose remains will be interred in the Queen's private chapel in Windsor Castle. This is, however, not to be Philip's permanent resting place, as after Elizabeth's death, the two of them will be buried together so they can stay together forever. Philip will then be transferred to the church's King George VI memorial chapel, where Elizabeth's parents are buried. 

In the meantime, Queen Elizabeth has been receiving regular visits from her family to help her through this trying time. As the Daily Mail reports, several of the Queen's children and extended family have been paying their respects. Sarah Ferguson has been a regular visitor since Prince Philip's death. Prince Edward, the Queen's youngest son, and his wife Sophie Wessex also support the recently widowed Queen. The presence of her children is surely a comfort during these times.

Aside from these visits, Elizabeth also continues to get support from the loyal staff belonging to the close group that has attended to her during the pandemic, affectionally called "HMS Bubble" by themselves.

The name comes from the fact that these members of staff have been isolating together with the Queen since the start of the pandemic, cutting off extra social contact outside the bubble.

According to the Daily Mail, Vice-Admiral Sir Tony John-stone-Burt, the master of the Queen's household, addressed these staff members in an e-mail sent last year to offer words of comfort:

"There are 22 Royal Household staff inside the Bubble, and it struck me that our predicament is not dissimilar to my former life in the Royal Navy on a long overseas deployment.
Indeed, the challenges that we are facing, whether self-isolating alone at home, or with our close household and families, have parallels with being at sea, away from home for many months, and having to deal with a sense of dislocation, anxiety and uncertainty.
Regardless of the roles we perform, we do them to an exceptional standard to allow the Queen and other members to do their duty to the best of their ability, too."

Several members of the bubble have lent the Queen their support over the last days. Elizabeth has grown close to several of her aides and staff over the years, as is the norm for long-reigning monarchs. Notable members of her personal staff include Paul Whybrew, the Page of the Backstairs, who spends time watching TV with Queen Elizabeth, and Lady Susan Hussey, one of the Queen's Ladies-in-waiting, who is a close confidante and friend to Elizabeth and, according to the Daily Mail, even accompanied the Queen inside her car to the funeral last weekend. We hope the company of her friends and family will help Elizabeth and anchor her in her time of loss.

Do you think the company of close friends and family is helpful in times like these? Or are you someone who would rather grieve alone? Tell us what you think and pass this story along.