Why Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis Couldn’t Attend Prince Philip’s Funeral
The day has come—Prince Philip is being laid to rest. His ceremonial funeral, which consisted of just 30 of Philip’s closest loved ones due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, was an intimate gathering that honored Philip’s incredible life. Of those 30 guests, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—were not seen during the televised broadcast of the ceremony, but there was good reason for it.
According to the Evening Standard, George, Charlotte, and Louis are considered “too young” to be attending a public ceremonial funeral. This makes complete sense, as the children—who have a combined 14 years among the three of them—probably wouldn’t understand the nuances of the ceremony, according to royal expert Ingrid Seward. Kate and William also wanted to have their kids sit out the ceremony so they wouldn’t take three spots away from older relatives who spent years close to the late Prince Philip.
Ingrid also explained to The Telegraph (via The Mirror) that Prince Philip likely wouldn’t have wanted children at the ceremony because of the restlessness they might have experienced. “The royal family are completely traditional, and even without the COVID-19 restrictions, young children wouldn’t be there. The Queen only had children down to Christmas lunch when they had reached a certain age,” Seward said, adding that Philip “wouldn’t want young children racing up and down the aisle.…[He thought] you can never go wrong if you follow convention.”
As for how William has shared the news of Prince Philip’s passing, a royal source told Express that he reportedly told “George, Charlotte, and Louis that Prince Philip has ‘gone to heaven’ and ‘is an angel now’” because “they’re still so young so he and Kate wanted to let them down gently.”
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