Royals from all over Europe to London to remember Prince Philip

From Holland to Greece, from Spain to Sweden. The crowned heads from all over Europe flew to London to pay homage to the memory of Prince PhilipDuke of Edinburgh, whose memorial service at Westminster Abbey, a little less than a year after his death.

The function, which marks the return of the Queen Elizabeth after months of caution related to his health condition, he is a real one event which reunites after a long time the European royal families whose family trees for centuries have intertwined their branches.

Philip himself, son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, and of the German princess Alice of Battenbergwas related to several European dynastiesties that were strengthened when he married Elizabeth, a descendant of the same Queen Victoria of which Filippo’s grandmother was a grandson.

Here because king Felipe of Spainwho was among the first to arrive at the service accompanied by his wife Letizia Ortiz in a bottle green coat dress, a year ago he greeted the Duke of Edinburgh with a communiqué referring to him as “dear uncle Filippo“.

And that’s also why the queen could not be missing at Westminster Margrethe II of Denmark (which also this year celebrates the Jubileefor her 50 years of reign), very elegant in an unusual – for her, always very whimsical – gray pinstripe suit.

His sister, the princess Anna Maria of Denmark and Greeceshe was accompanied to London by her children, the princes Pavlos with his wife Marie-Chantal Miller (American heiress and illustrator) e Philipposwho most of all was linked to the Duke of Edinburgh, of whom he was godson.

Despite the ailments of age, the eighty-four-year-old princess absolutely wanted to be present too Beatrice of Hollandwho accompanied the king son Willem-Alexander and the queen Maxima. The King of Holland and Queen Elizabeth are fifth cousins.

The relationship between Elizabeth II and the king is closer Carl Gustav of Swedenarrived in Westminster with his wife the Queen Silvia: they are third cousins. But it was above all to call the Sovereigns from Stockholm the friendship between the Swedish King and Prince Philip remembered by Carlo Gustavo himself on the occasion of the death of the Duke of Edinburgh: «Philip was a great friend of our family, our bonds are deep. The service rendered to his country will always be an inspiration for all of us ».

Also the kinship between Elizabeth II and the king Philip of Belgium is linked to Queen Victoria: the Belgian sovereign could not therefore fail to attend the function, to which he was accompanied by his wife, the Queen Matilde.

He was Philip’s first cousin, but the deceased King Michael of Romania: his daughter arrived on his behalf, Margareta, keeper of the Romanian Crown (the monarchy was abolished in 1948), which together with her husband, actor Radu Duda, is also great friend of Prince Edward and Countess Sophia of Wessex.

He is a great friend of Prince Charles, however, the prince Alexander of Serbiaexpected with his wife the princess Katherine. The Serbian prince was actually born in London, while his family was in exile, in a hotel that was declared Yugoslav territory for one day to allow the newborn to claim succession rights to the throne. His mother, Princess Alexandra of Greece was Philip’s first cousin and his playmate in childhood.

He was expected alone, as expected, and Prince Albert of Monaco arrived alone: his wife Charléne Wittstockjust returned to Munich after being hospitalized in a Swiss clinic and months of long and heavy diseaseis not yet able to meet official commitments.

Instead, the sovereigns of Norway announced their absence only yesterday: kings Harald V it turned out positive for Covid 19 and he and his wife, Queen Sonja, had to stay in Oslo.