Topics: Royal Family, Princess Beatrice, Prince Andrew, The Queen, Queen Camilla, King Charles III
Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday celebrations were always going to be emotional, and the royal family turned out in force to mark the occasion at Buckingham Palace.
King Charles and Queen Camilla led the day’s tributes, with Prince William and the Princess of Wales also among the senior figures present for the centenary reception.
It had all the hallmarks of a major royal event, too, with Princess Anne, Prince Edward, the Duchess of Edinburgh, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester all being there.
There was even a formal family photograph, with working royals gathered together to honour the late monarch on what would have been her 100th birthday.
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However, despite the strong turnout, not every familiar face was there, and several absences quickly became part of the conversation around the day.
Among the most noticeable no-shows were Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. The late Queen’s granddaughters did not attend the Buckingham Palace celebrations, and their absence stood out given the scale of the event.
The pair have kept a relatively low profile as the fallout surrounding their father, Prince Andrew, continues to hang over the wider family. Andrew denies any wrongdoing, and neither Beatrice nor Eugenie has faced any accusations, but their decision not to attend still drew attention.
Hello! royal correspondent Alexandra Hurtado said: ‘The late Queen's granddaughters have been keeping a relatively low profile in the wake of everything that has transpired with their parents. Stepping out now would inevitably draw attention, something, I imagine, they’d want to avoid on a day meant to honour their beloved Grannie.’
Their absence also follows reports that the sisters had made ‘alternative plans’ for the royal family’s Easter Sunday celebrations, though they are still said to have the support of the King.
Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall were also missing from the centenary event. Zara is not a working royal, but she is still one of the more recognisable members of the extended family and does sometimes appear at key engagements. Her absence is thought to be down to her equestrian commitments, with the Olympic medallist having competed at the Burnham Market International Horse Trials over the weekend.
As reported by Tatler, after Queen Elizabeth II died, Zara said: ‘She very much knew what was going on in my career as I was growing up, you got to see her real passion and love for the horses and that side of her.’
Another royal who did not appear was Sir Timothy Laurence. Princess Anne’s husband is often seen alongside her on official duties, so some royal watchers may have expected him to attend. It may simply have been a case of the guest list being kept tighter, with the focus largely on current or former working royals.
Lady Louise Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex, were absent too. Louise, 22, is believed to be busy with her studies at the University of St Andrews, while James, 18, is likely focused on his A-level exams.
The late Queen’s great-grandchildren also did not attend, including Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, with the Wales children having just returned to school after the Easter holidays.
Charles later marked what would have been his ‘darling mama’s’ 100th birthday in a speech, saying current events would have ‘troubled her deeply’, while urging the nation to take comfort from her belief ‘that goodness will always prevail and that a brighter dawn is never far from the horizon.’
