Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie were greeted with boos from the crowd outside St Paul’s Cathedral as they arrived for the National Thanksgiving Service this morning (June 3). As they walked up the steps some onlookers could be heard booing, although there were also cheers from some members of the crowd.
A commentator for the BBC said: “The Prime Minister arriving with his wife. There is quite a lot of booing. A substantial amount. We have not heard that for any other VIP guests, that is fair to say.”
The response from the crowd comes following the publication of the Sue Gray report, which revealed that a number of parties took place at Downing Street during Covid lockdowns. The couple both received police fines for breaching Covid rules.
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Meanwhile crowds cheered as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived at St Paul’s for the service. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex held hands and smiled as they walked up the steps of the cathedral.
The couple arrived at the service after the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and their two children, and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie along with their husbands. They spent a few minutes talking to the senior clerics before entering the cathedral and greeting the long line of clergy taking part in the service.
Harry stopped to chat for a few moments with the Archbishop of York who later will give the sermon and is expected to praise the Queen’s 70-year reign. The pair then took their seats in the second row from the front.
It’s the first time the couple have appeared in public during the Jubilee celebrations, which began yesterday. It’s reported that the couple intend to keep a low profile during the festivities so as not to overshadow the Queen.
During Trooping of the Colour on Thursday the couple were photographed watching the ceremony from a window, along with other members of the royal family who were not invited to stand on the balcony.
The Queen decided not to attend the thanksgiving service on Friday morning. Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday evening that she would not attend the event after experiencing “some discomfort” during Trooping of the Colour earlier that day. The Monarch did, however, light the beacon from Windsor Castle.
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