Queen Elizabeth II reappears in public five months later for the Duke of Edinburgh's farewell

Queen Elizabeth II, the close family, the distant family, European royal houses, diplomatic and security forces, current and past politicians and even the repudiated Prince Andrew have attended this Tuesday, March 29, to which, 10 days after the A year after his death, it seems to be the final farewell to the Duke of Edinburgh, who was the queen's husband for more than seven decades.

Since 10:30 in the morning (London time, one more hour in mainland Spain) Westminster Abbey, where Elizabeth and Philip were married in November 1947, has welcomed a good part of British society and the aristocracy Union for the funeral of the royal consort who died in April 2021.

This event, official and at the same time family (the royal families that have attended have done so at the express invitation of the monarch), has been the first time in five months that Elizabeth II has been seen in public, and also the first time since the coronavirus passed a month ago.

Finally, she has been seen beyond the photographs that had been published at this time.

Aided by a cane, the queen has arrived accompanied, from the car and to the very altar of Westminster, by her son Andrés, fallen into disgrace two and a half years ago due to his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, which forced him to withdraw from the public life in November 2019. Elizabeth II sat next to her heir, Prince Charles;

there Andrés has sat on a second bench, next to his younger brother and already further away from the main institutional figures.

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Photos: European royal houses gather in London to bid farewell to the Duke of Edinburgh

The queen and her four children —Carlos, Ana, Andrés and Eduardo— have been accompanied by their respective partners, children and grandchildren.

In addition, most of the ruling families of Europe have been present at the religious service.

The kings of Spain, Felipe and Letizia, have been joined by Queen Margarita of Denmark;

as well as the kings Carlos Gustavo and Silvia of Sweden;

King Philippe and Matilde of Belgium;

Kings William and Máxima of the Netherlands with the monarch's mother, the former queen and now Princess Beatriz;

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg;

Prince Albert of Monaco (without Charlene);

and the crown prince of Bahrain.

Ana María de Grecia has also joined the delegation, although without her husband Constantino, in poor health, and two of her children: Pablo, with her wife Marie-Chantal, and Felipe, with Nina Flohr.

Kyrill from Bulgaria,

son of Simeon of Bulgaria, the last king of the country, was also present at the mass.

The kings of Norway have been absent, with Harald sick with coronavirus.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia at Westminster Abbey on March 29, 2022. Matt Dunham (AP)

Despite knowing beforehand, the absence of Henry of England and his wife, Meghan Markle, has been notorious.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their two children live in California, USA, and have decided not to be part of this last farewell to Henry's grandfather, who instead attended the small funeral officiated in April at Windsor Castle.

Yes, his older brother, Guillermo, and his wife, Kate, have just arrived from their controversial tour of the Caribbean.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have come to the abbey accompanied by their two eldest children, Jorge and Carlota, aged eight and six, who have made their first hand kiss there.

In the service there have been readings and speeches and, finally, the national anthem has been played.

For the occasion, the men have dressed in suits —despite the fact that uniforms were initially discussed, they were finally discarded—, while the women have chosen dark colors, some black and others, such as Elizabeth II, Camilla of Cornwall , Anne of England or Queen Letizia, dark green, a color that is a relief of mourning, not as solemn as black, and that is associated with Scotland, the land from which the title of the queen's late husband comes.

For the occasion, the wife of Felipe VI has worn a coat-dress accompanied by a small headdress in the same tone from the Balel hat shop in Madrid.