Meghan Markle and Prince Harry put on a united front with the rest of the royal family as they attended Queen Elizabeth’s funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19.
However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex opted not to bring their two children to the service for Her Majesty, who passed away at the age of 96. And the reason they decided to keep their brood at their Montecito home in California rather than have them attend their great-grandmother’s funeral is simply because of their age. With their son Archie being three and their daughter Lili only one year old, they are too young to attend and understand royal events, especially those as solemn as the Queen’s passing.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate Middleton, also decided to leave their youngest son, Prince Louis, at home while their two eldest children, Prince George, 9, and Princess Charlotte, 7, were in attendance.
According to Hello!, there is no official rule preventing children under a certain age from attending the funeral of a Sovereign—and it is up to the parents to make the decision on whether they can handle such events.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the state funeral and burial of Queen Elizabeth.PHIL NOBLE/Getty Images
It is unclear who Archie and Lilibet are staying with back home in California, but Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland may be stepping in to help with childcare. Meghan has also previously gushed about the children’s “amazing” nanny named Lauren.
Meanwhile, Meghan Markle arrived with her husband, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, at the Queen’s funeral on Monday. This is the first time Meghan has attended a royal or state funeral. She missed Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021 as she was pregnant with her and Harry’s second child, Lilibet, at the time.
In the days following the Queen’s death on September 8, Meghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry—who moved to California and stepped back from their position as senior royals in 2020—reunited with Prince William and Kate Middleton to attend several official events.
Meghan chose to show her respect for her husband’s grandmother by placing her hit Spotify podcast, Archetypes, on hold. Her coming cover for Variety‘s Women in Power issue and gala has also been postponed.
This post was originally published in Glamour UK.
