The image from Prince Philip's funeral that broke hearts around the world
By Karishma Sarkari|
As the world watched on while the British Royal Family bid farewell to Prince Philip, there was one particular image that struck a chord around the globe.
Queen Elizabeth, who once labelled the Duke of Edinburgh her "strength and stay", was not only burying her husband of 73-years but doing so alone.
Cutting a very solitary figure inside the Nave of St George's Chapel, Her Majesty was kept away from other members of the family, due to current coronavirus restrictions.
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Currently people are not allowed to mix indoors with people from outside of their household, which meant the monarch was left to sit by herself on this hardest of days.
While it's what many other families have also had to endure as they farewell loved ones in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic, the image still caused it's own outpouring of grief across the internet.
"The Queen sat alone, socially distanced, at her husband's funeral is going to be an enduring image," Omid Djalili tweeted, adding: "When she said, aged 21 in April 1947 that she was going to serve her country, she meant every word of it."
"What a dignified and wonderful woman she is," one person responded.
Another replied: "She is not my queen, but I do respect her. At the end of the day she is a human just like any of us and this moment must be really difficult for her, but time and time again she has shown the world she is a strong woman."
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"Such a solemn and poignant photo. HRH The Queen alone for the first time in over 70 years with out her beloved Philip by her side! God Bless Our Queen," one person tweeted in response.
Piers Morgan tweeted the photo, labelling it "just devastating".
"Has there ever been a more heart-breaking picture of The Queen?," he asked.
"The cruel separation and loneliness suffered by so many in this pandemic, now endured by the world's most famous woman as she says goodbye to her husband of 73 years. Just devastating."
One person replied to his tweet: "The sight of the Queen sat alone in St George's chapel broke me. Royalist or not, she's like any other person, widow, grandma, grieving the love of her life.
"Seeing our Queen alone at her husbands funeral was heartbreaking," another wrote alongside emojis.
In response to seeing the image online, one person tweeted: "An image I didn't think would bring me such sadness. May God grant her peace, courage and strength she needs at this time."
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Another wrote: "I don't care who you are. Being sat alone for the funeral of your spouse of 70+ years is heartbreaking. Prayers of grace and peace for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth."
"This very moving image of the Queen having to sit alone is surely destined to be one of the photographs of the pandemic," Lewis Goodall, BBC Newsnight's Policy Editor tweeted.
Royal commentator Katie Nicholl fought back tears as she said seeing the Queen as "such a solitary figure" was heart-breaking.
"There's no humanity in COVID," Nicholl told BBC after the service. "Many families will have gone through this. There will be people watching at home who will recognise what the Queen has gone through.
"And I think everybody's sympathies will be with her."
"I think it was quite heart-breaking to see her sitting there all alone. It was a very sombre image and one I think that everyone will be reflecting on today," she said.
Perhaps making the solitary image seem all the more devastating was the smiling, happy and in-love as ever image shared by Her Majesty on the eve of her husband's funeral.
Captured by daughter-in-law Sophie, Countess of Wessex, it shows the couple sitting very happily side-by-side at the top of the Coyles of Muick, Scotland in 2003.
The Queen was of course supported by her four children and eight grandchildren, who were all there for the funeral and who will no-doubt rally around her in the coming days.
