Prince Philip Memorial Service—Who's Going and Who's Not

The memorial service for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, will take place at London's Westminster Abbey on Tuesday in front of an assembled congregation of nearly every major crowned head in Europe, members of the British royal family and representatives from the prince's charities. There will, however, be notable absences and at least one surprising addition.

Following a funeral in April 2021, where attendees were limited to just 30—in accordance with the British government's COVID-19 public safety measures—the memorial for Philip has been in the planning for nearly a year.

Though the restricted number of 30 did allow the prince's immediate family to be in attendance (Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave up his customary invitation so that a family member might take his place), social distancing and shielding measures due to the pandemic meant that Queen Elizabeth II had to be seated alone and the rest of the family remain in their socially distanced bubbles.

Philip's death and subsequent funeral marked a turning point for the royal family. The queen has since suffered a series of health issues and has admitted to being challenged with her mobility. Prince Charles has assumed a heavier share of official ceremonial royal burdens as a result of this and Prince William has also developed a more authoritative voice within the family in recent months.

The funeral on April 17, 2021 also marked a pivotal moment in the personal relationships within the royal family as Prince Harry traveled from his home in California to be in attendance. This was the first time that Harry came face to face with his brother and father since the interview with Oprah Winfrey aired. During the interview, allegations of racism were made against a member of the royal family and accusations of mental neglect, on the part of the household, were lodged in relation to Meghan Markle.

The interview was broadcast a month before Philip's death and the fallout from the accusations was still dominating headlines at the time.

Prince Harry

All senior adult members of the royal family are expected to attend the service, though it was confirmed to Newsweek this month that Harry would not be flying to Britain for the occasion. It is presumed that this also extends to his wife Meghan Markle and their two children.

This follows Harry's request for a judicial review into the security detail assigned to him when he visits the U.K by the Home Office.

Harry's concern stemmed from alleged intrusion by paparazzi photographers who followed his car from a charitable engagement during his visit to the U.K in summer 2021 to unveil a statue to his mother at Kensington Palace.

The lawsuit is ongoing and both the U.K. Home Office and Harry are standing firm on their positions—Harry, that he and his family require increased security in order to visit Britain safely and the U.K Home Office, that sufficient security is and has been afforded to Harry and his family as people of "internationally protected status."

Harry's decision not to return to Britain for the memorial prompted criticism in the press, compounded by the announcement later in the month that he was preparing for the Invictus Games in the Netherlands in April.

Prince Andrew

Harry is not the only royal family member whose attendance, or non attendance, at the memorial service has created unease and surprise. The event is presumed to be the first Prince Andrew will publicly attend since he settled the lawsuit of sexual assault allegations brought against him by Virginia Giuffre.

Andrew's negative public image following his close association with known pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and Giuffre's allegations forced him to retire from public life completely.

The Queen

One key figure whose attendance has caused concern has been the queen herself. Aged 95, the monarch has suffered from health issues compounded by contracting COVID-19 and mobility issues in recent months.

Newsweek was told in March that the queen "hopes" to attend the service, though no firm directive has been given. This follows the monarch's canceling her appearance at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey this month, asking Prince Charles to deputize.

European Royalty

Representatives of the royal houses of Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Greece and Romania have all confirmed that they will be present at the memorial service on Tuesday. The King and Queen of Norway had announced their intention to be there also but have since withdrawn due to the king contracting COVID-19.

The number of foreign kings and queens attending will make the memorial the largest gathering of European royalty in Britain since Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations of 2012.

The memorial service will pay tribute to the life of Prince Philip with a focus on the 700 charities he supported over the course of his lifetime, including the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme which he himself helped to found.