Prince George and Princess Charlotte joined the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to attend their great-grandfather's memorial service. The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, died on 9 April last year at Windsor Castle.
Close family, friends, foreign royals and hundreds of charity workers gathered at Westminster Abbey for the service on Tuesday afternoon (29 March). Some 1,800 people packed the gothic church – in marked contrast to Philip’s funeral where only 30 were permitted to attend amid Covid restrictions.
Tuesday’s service is the Queen’s first major official engagement outside one of her homes for nearly six months, since she travelled to Cardiff to deliver a speech at the Welsh Senedd on October 14. Among those attending were Prince Andrew, who accompanied the Queen, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
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It was also the first time two of Kate and William's children have attended a major public church service. Prince George, 8, wore a navy blue suit, with a blue and white spotted tie. Princess Charlotte wore a navy coat over a dress, with black tights and black shoes.
They were pictured holding their parents' hands on arrival to the ceremony. It didn't take long for Twitter users to react to their rare appearance, with many gushing about how 'grown up' the two eldest children look.
Twitter user @lubna91279124 said: "Prince George and Princess Charlotte are so grown up," along with a heart-eye emoji and a red, sparkly heart emoji, while @want2b_parisien tweeted: "Prince George is so tall! Not even 10 years old yet," with a shocked face emoji.
Meanwhile, @Layzaew_Berg added: "Aww, I am delighted to see #PrinceGeorge and #PrincessCharlotte attending their great grandfather's #memorialservice They always look so cute and well behaved."
Twiter user @DanniizDesignz said: "Prince George and Princess Charlotte look adorably cute but also so grown up. Can't believe they are 8 and 6 already!"
But Prince George and Princess Charlotte weren't the only royal great-grandchildren in attendance at the memorial. The Queen's eldest great-grandchild Savannah Phillips, 11, and her sister Isla Phillips, 10, also made an appearance. They are the daughters of Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips and his now-ex wife, Autumn Kelly.
It must have been a bitter-sweet day for the family, as the date of the service - 29 March - also marked young Isla's 10th birthday. Meanwhile Mia Grace Tindall, 8, daughter of Zara and Mike Tindal, was also in attendance.
