Mourners watching the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II have questioned why the late monarch’s grandson, the Duke of Sussex, was seated in the second row at Westminster Abbey.
On Monday 19 September, dignitaries and royals from around the world attended the Queen’s state funeral for an hour-long service at the historic site in London.
During the service, King Charles III and his wife Camilla, Queen Consort, were joined in the front row by the Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence, along with the Queen’s sons Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, and Prince Edward’s wife Sophie.
The Queen’s children and their partners were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the eldest two of their three children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
In the second row, seated directly behind his father, was Prince Harry, who wore a morning suit and his military medals rather than his full uniform, and his wife Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
The Sussexes were joined in the second row by Prince Harry’s cousins, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, their husbands, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank, and their mother Sarah Ferguson.
The second row was also occupied by Prince Edward’s children, Lady Louise Windsor and her brother James, Viscount Severn.
On social media, the seating arrangements during the Queen’s state funeral caused some confusion among royal fans, with many wondering why Prince Harry was not sitting in the same row as his brother, William.
Some suggested it was because the Duke of Sussex is no longer a working royal. However, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne’s children Peter Philips and Zara Tindall, along with Zara’s husband Mike – none of whom are working royals – were all seated in the front row.
“Why is Prince Harry in the second row at the Queen’s funeral?” one person viewing the service on TV asked, while another said: “I thought Harry was allowed to wear his uniform today. It’s bad enough he had to sit on the second row behind his family! The disrespect!”
Other spectators claimed the seating decision was “petty behaviour”.
“Harry is literally the son of a king but he’s sitting on the second row?” one person wrote on Twitter, while another remarked: “Harry is still our King’s son whether people like it or not and should never have been hid in the second row.”
The Independent has contacted palace officials for comment.
Prince Andrew had already been the subject of an exception after he was permitted to wear his military uniform as a “special mark of respect” for the Queen, despite being a non-working royal.
Although Prince Harry was seated behind his father and his brother during the service, he walked next to Prince William behind the Queen’s coffin during a procession to Westminster Abbey.
