William, Kate and Charles lead slimmed-down royal family at the Festival of Remembrance as The Queen rests at home
PRINCE William, Kate and Prince Charles led a slimmed-down royal family paying tribute to our troops at last night’s Festival of Remembrance – as the Queen stayed at home to rest.
The royal box at London’s Albert Hall was noticeably much less packed than the last time the event was held two years ago.
Her Majesty would normally attend but was advised by doctors to perform only “light duties” so stayed at Windsor Castle.
However, the monarch will make a public return on Sunday morning as she leads the nation’s Remembrance Sunday tributes at the Cenotaph.
Prince William, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra were all present last night.
PM Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer were also there, seated near the royals.
Two years ago Prince Harry, Meghan and Prince Andrew joined the Queen and the rest of the family in the royal box.
But all were absent last night, having stepped back from duties.
Kate wore Princess Diana’s Collingwood pearl earrings and pearl bracelet, in a sweet nod to her late mother-in-law.
Gregory Porter, Cynthia Erivo, Alfie Boe, Alexandra Burke and Ramin Karimloo all performed at the Royal British Legion’s annual event.
The Royal Marines fanfare team opened the ceremony and were followed by Royal British Legion members carrying blue and gold standards.
Poet Tomos Roberts, who is also known as Tomfoolery, performed a specially commissioned poem to mark the centenary of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance.
The Chelsea Pensioners were welcomed into the venue with roaring applause.
One video showed Sallie and David Wright, who spoke about their son James who was killed in Afghanistan ten years ago.
Sixteen families who had lost loved ones also entered the historic venue to the sound of applause.
SACRED DUTIES
On the Queen’s return tomorrow, sources said she views Sunday Remembrance Day as “unmissable” and as one of her “most sacred duties”.
And they said it would “take something very serious indeed” for her to have missed the service.
She has missed the event just six times during her reign, either when pregnant or away on tour.
It’ll be her first official appearance since she filmed a video for the COP26 eco-summit.
Her Majesty had been due to attend and give her speech in person, but was advised not to fly to Glasgow.
Earlier this month, she was spotted in Windsor behind the wheel of her understated green five-door Jaguar, which usually used to ferry her beloved corgis.
Palace chiefs will “carefully examine” her diary to Christmas and into next year after doctors told her to take it easy.
Royal sources say they have been instructed to take a “careful and cautious approach” to Her Majesty’s diary in the future.
Prince Charles has insisted his mother is “all right” after well-wishers asked the Prince of Wales about the Queen’s health.
Charles, 72, was greeted by crowds of people as he left a branch of NatWest bank in Brixton after an engagement for the Prince’s Trust.
One man asked him: “Prince Charles, how is your mother?”
He replied: “She’s all right, thank you”.
COURT BATTLE
It comes as bombshell court case throws the spotlight back on a rift at the heart of the royal family following Megxit.
The Duchess of Sussex was forced to apologise after explosive texts and emails showed she authorised briefings to the authors of the biography Finding Freedom, contradicting her earlier denials.
It came during a sensational three-day case brought by the Mail on Sunday to appeal against Meghan’s privacy win earlier this year.
Meghan sued the newspaper after it published extracts of a five-page letter she wrote to her dad Thomas.
