King Charles led the Royal Family at Westminster Abbey for Commonwealth Day, with Prince William, Kate Middleton and Princess Anne in attendance – but Princess Beatrice and Eugenie were notably absent from the service
The Royal Family has assembled for its largest gathering since the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Today’s (March 9) annual Commonwealth Day has witnessed the King and Queen accompanied for a special service at Westminster Abbey by the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Prior to the occasion, which represents one of the significant engagements in the royal calendar, Charles delivered an annual message to the 56 member nations, which will stage their biennial Commonwealth meeting this year during the first week of November in the capital of Antigua and Barbuda. Whilst a substantial number of royals were present for the occasion – several were absent, including Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
The two sisters are managing the fallout of revelations concerning their parents, the former Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson, and their connection with Jeffrey Epstein.
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It has been proposed that Beatrice and Eugenie should avoid making any public appearances with their royal relatives whilst the scandal continues to unfold. However, it appears this is not the explanation for their absence at Westminster Abbey this afternoon.
That’s because neither princess has ever attended a Commonwealth Day service previously – with the occasion limited to working royals only, reports the Mirror.
The final time their father participated was back in 2019, eight months before his catastrophic BBC Newsnight interview, following which he withdrew from public life. However, it’s a different situation for Beatrice and Eugenie regarding family gatherings, such as Easter next month.
Previously, the sisters have accompanied the royals for the annual Easter Sunday church service.
But royal expert Jennie Bond reckons it might be preferable for the sisters to avoid the Easter gathering in a few weeks’ time. She told the Mirror: “I’m sure the women care about the damage that has been done to the royal family, and it seems to me that the best way to support their uncle and cousins is to keep their distance for the foreseeable future.
“It might be helpful if they told the King that they are otherwise engaged for Easter and Royal Ascot week, thus relieving him of the dilemma about whether to invite them.
“Like it or not, they would draw unwelcome press attention to themselves if they were to join the rest of the royals, so it might be better for all involved if they keep a low profile for now.”
Meanwhile, two dedicated royals, both regarded as reliable figures, were also absent from the event today – the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
It’s the second consecutive year that Prince Edward and his wife Sophie have missed the annual occasion. The reason for their absence appears to be that they’ve been in Italy at the Milan and Cortina Winter Paralympics supporting Paralympics GB.
Last year, the duo were absent as Sophie undertook a series of commitments in New York City to commemorate International Women’s Day, whilst Commonwealth Day coincided with Edward’s 61st birthday.
However, at today’s service, other attendees in the 1,800-strong congregation included Prime Minister Keir Starmer and senior members of his Cabinet, as well as High Commissioners and young individuals.
Spice Girl Geri Halliwell-Horner, an ambassador for the Royal Commonwealth Society, which organises the event, delivered a speech and there was a reflection from former Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse and a poem from Selina Tusitala Marsh, the inaugural Commonwealth Poet Laureate.
Charles stated in his address to the Commonwealth: “”In a world that can feel increasingly fragmented, this voluntary union of free association remains rare and precious – a forum for open and honest discussion and debate to help improve the lives of the nearly three billion people who call our member states home.”
He added: “Our Commonwealth of Nations holds untapped potential for prosperous trade between trusting partners. With nearly two-thirds of our population under the age of 30, we are a family defined by youth and possibility.
“It is our shared responsibility to ensure that they inherit not only hope and ambition, but also a world in which they can flourish. That inheritance depends upon the health of our planet and on the restoration of the natural world on which we depend. Across so many parts of our Commonwealth, climate change is not an abstract or distant threat, but a lived reality.
“The stewardship of nature, the protection of oceans and forests, and the pursuit of prosperity secured in harmony with the natural world are duties we owe not only to one another, but to generations yet unborn.”
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