The Queen’s great-grandson, who became second in line to the throne after her death on September 8, wore a dark blue suit and black tie as he walked alongside his father, the Prince of Wales, the immediate successor to King Charles III. Beside him walked his younger sister, in a black dress and wide-brimmed hat, and her mother, the Princess of Wales. Charlotte’s appearance at Westminster Abbey was a reminder of how the Queen’s reign ended hundreds of years of male primacy in the British monarchy. Since 2013, a younger son could no longer displace an older daughter in the line of succession, meaning Charlotte is third in line to the throne and her younger brother Louis, four, who was not at the funeral, is fourth . Siblings launched a new school in Berkshire on the day the nation’s longest-reigning monarch died. On Monday, they joined the main royal party, behind the king and queen consort as the queen’s body was carried into the abbey. The role of children in the hour-long ceremony only came to light on Sunday night and is sure to be the subject of considerable debate. In previous state funerals for monarchs, grandchildren, let alone great-grandchildren, did not typically play an official role. This change is partly a consequence of the Queen’s 70-year reign and long life, but also part of the current monarchy’s desire to project stability in the UK and Commonwealth. Two days after the Queen’s death, the Prince of Wales reportedly told a member of the public on a walk in Windsor that they were “trying to keep a sense of continuity for them at school and keep things as normal as possible”. On Sunday, it was reported that George and Charlotte’s presence had been suggested by “senior palace advisers”, with an unnamed official saying George’s presence would be desirable “if only to reassure the nation about the order of succession”. . As they entered the abbey, George glanced around at the assembled dignitaries and world leaders, while Charlotte peered out of the brim of her hat as her mother put a hand on her shoulder. They sat next to their parents in the front row facing the casket. Charlotte’s feet swung beneath her, still too short to reach the black-and-white checkered floor of the abbey, as Lady Scotland, the secretary-general of the Commonwealth, read the first lesson from 1 Corinthians, which asked: “O death, where is your stinger? “ Royal family march with Queen’s coffin into Westminster Abbey – video A few seats together, their great uncle and aunt, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, wiped their eyes. Beyond sat the King, their grandfather, his face grim, his mouth turned downward, his left hand holding the hilt of his ceremonial sword as he silently read the order of service. The Prince of Wales, no doubt with the mixture of anxiety and love familiar to any parent of a child who has been asked to sit patiently in a formal setting, looked across at his children. There was no need to worry as under the gaze of many world leaders and millions of television viewers, they sang along to the version of Lord is My Shepherd that was sung at the wedding of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947. As the Archbishop of Canterbury delivered his homily, which referred to “the sadness of this day felt not only by the late Queen’s family but throughout the nation, the Commonwealth and the world,” Princess Charlotte whispered to her mother. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Their appearance came amid a narrowing of the royal family’s focus on figures at the top of the direct line of succession, overseen by the King. That was demonstrated when the Queen, Charles, William and George were among a slimmed-down cast that took to Buckingham’s balcony for the platinum jubilee in May without the Duke of York, Duke of Sussex or Earl of Wessex. The Prince of Wales has previously spoken of how walking behind his mother’s coffin in 1997, aged 15, after she died in a car crash in Paris was “one of the hardest things I’ve ever done ». The Duke of Sussex, who was 12 at the time, said: “I don’t think any child should be asked to do this, under any circumstances.” The circumstances for the Queen’s funeral were different from Diana’s funeral procession in which William and Harry walked down the Mall with only Charles, Prince Philip and Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer. Here they were in the arms of their family. God Save the King sung at the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral – video At the end of the state funeral, the children stood perfectly still as the congregation sang God Save the King. George kept his hands at his sides and Charlotte clasped her hands in front of her. They traveled from Westminster to Windsor by car as part of the Queen’s hearse. They were accompanied by Camilla, their step-grandmother, and the Princess of Wales, their mother, ahead of the engagement service at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
