The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared a very tender moment with
the Duchess of Cornwall on Monday as the
royals reunited for the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.
It was the first time that William and Kate have been seen in public
with Prince Charles and Camilla
since the Queen expressed her desire for
Camilla to become Queen Consort when her son takes the throne.
The Cambridges warmly greeted the senior royal couple, both bending down
to kiss Camilla on the cheek as they waited for the service to begin.
Kate sweetly bent down to embrace her step-mother-in-law twice,
affectionately placing her arm with her left hand in a touching gesture.
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Duchess Kate warmly embraced Camilla inside the Abbey
The royals were in high spirits at the event, with William has seen laughing
with Camilla while Charles and his daughter-in-law were also seen having an animated
discussion.
Sadly, the Queen herself was not in attendance at the event. It was the
first time Her Majesty had missed the event in almost a decade, and it would
have marked her debut public appearance since reaching her Platinum Jubilee
milestone in February.
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The Queen has expressed her desire for Camilla to become Queen Consort
The last time the Queen skipped the service was in 2013 while
recovering from a nasty bout of gastroenteritis.
The decision that the monarch, who has just recovered from coronavirus,
should not attend has been interpreted as a precautionary measure and a
practical move, rather than a new health issue.
As Head of the Commonwealth, this “family of nations” of 54
countries has played an important role throughout the Queen’s reign.
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It was the first time the Queen missed the service in almost a decade
The theme of this years’ service was ‘Delivering A Common Future’ – the
Commonwealth’s continued commitment to delivering a peaceful, prosperous and
more sustainable future for all. It also celebrated Her Majesty’s Platinum
Jubilee Year.
Other guests in attendance at Westminster Abbey included Princess
Alexandra, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Labour leader Sir Keir Stamer and
David Walliams.
