Queen Elizabeth Attended Her First Royal Engagement Since Prince Philip's Death
Queen Elizabeth has performed her first royal duty since the death of her husband Prince Philip last Friday (April 9).
On Tuesday, she hosted a retirement ceremony at Windsor Castle in honor of Earl Peel, her former Lord Chamberlain. According to Court Circular, Peel stepped down a week before Philip's death.
According to the daily record of public duties of the British monarchy, "The Earl Peel had an audience of The Queen today, delivered up his Wand and Insignia of Office as Lord Chamberlain and the Badge of Chancellor of the Royal Victorian Order and took leave upon relinquishing his appointment as Lord Chamberlain, when Her Majesty invested him with the Royal Victorian Chain."
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Peel served as Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer role appointed by the royal household, for 14 years. Leading up to his retirement, Peel was overseeing Prince Philip's funeral proceedings. The role and Peel's duties will now be taken over by former M15 spy chief Baron Andrew Parker.
The Queen had begun an eight-day period of grieving where she didn't have to attend to any royal duties, but according to People, senior royal staffers weren't surprised by her quick return to her job. "Her family will step up and be by her side, but she will carry on," a former senior aide told People. "She understands that she has a job to do, and [Philip] would have wanted her to crack on. She did do so when he retired from public life."
The funeral will be held this Saturday, and according to People, his coffin will be processed through Windsor Castle, royal officials confirmed. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the funeral will be reduced in size and closed to the public. But it will be broadcasted at 3 p.m. U.K. time (10 a.m. ET).
