Viewers were left heartbroken by the televised service, as the Queen could be seen having a teary moment while the attendees sang God Save the Queen, and Princess Beatrice broke down in floods of tears during one of the poignant hymns.
Prince Harry and Meghan sadly did not attend the service, despite reports that they were gearing up to make their big return. Many have called Prince Harry’s choice to skip the event a ‘slap in the face’ for the Queen and will potentially leave him with a ‘lifetime of regret.’
His decision to skip the event was due to safety concerns after the Home Office denied him extra security. Now a former protection officer has called this a ‘pathetic excuse.’
Richard Griffin, who was responsible for both the Queen and Prince Philp’s safety for 14 years, told Sky News that Harry’s absence, “was a big disappointment for everybody.”
He continued, “all this nonsense about he couldn’t get protection, as far as I’m concerned that was a pathetic excuse, he should have been here to honor his grandfather.
“At the end of the day, if he was that worried about security he could have stuck with his brother and father who have got wonderful security. He would have been more than safe.”
The Queen faced concerns that she too, would not be able to attend the service, with the Palace taking things ‘day by day.’ Aides even planned a military-style operation to get her to the Abbey, with her Majesty determined to attend ‘no matter how hard it was.’