The nation mourns the loss of Her Majesty The Queen, who has passed away at the age of 96.
Plans are underway for a state funeral to bid a final farewell to the beloved monarch.
She leaves behind four children, eight grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren.
However, there is uncertainty surrounding whether the youngest members of the royal family will be in attendance at her funeral.
In 2021, the Queen and her family faced heartache with the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh, the monarch’s husband, on 9 April at Windsor Castle.
An emotional farewell was bid to Prince Philip at his funeral on 17 April at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
Notably, none of his great-grandchildren were present at the service, which took place amidst strict social distancing rules in the UK under Phase 2 of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Roadmap to Freedom plan, prohibiting indoor mixing.
Under different circumstances, it is likely that many of the Duke’s great-grandchildren would have attended his funeral, as they did at his memorial service at Westminster Abbey on 29 March this year.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were present alongside their parents, as well as Mia, the eldest daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall.
Additionally, Savannah and Isla, the children of Peter and Autumn Phillips, and James Viscount Severn and Lady Louise Windsor, the children of Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex, were also in attendance.
While there is no official rule prohibiting children from attending a sovereign’s funeral, it is possible that the youngest royals may be allowed to remain at home due to the solemnity of the occasion.
For instance, Prince Louis, the four-year-old son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, may be considered too young to comprehend the proceedings at the Queen’s funeral.
Similarly, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may opt to keep their children, Archie and Lilibet, in the US rather than flying them over for the event.
