Much has been made of the fact that Prince Philip's funeral, due to coronavirus-related restrictions, saw a pared back guest list of thirty close family members and friends. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Queen sadly also had to sit alone during the ceremony at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
However, while travelling to the event by car, Her Majesty was not alone. Thankfully, the Queen was able to have her lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey accompany her, as she is part of a slimmed down body of staff (nicknamed HMS Bubble) who have been attending to Her Majesty throughout the pandemic. Having Lady Hussey with her will have no doubt have been of some comfort on such a challenging day.
Lady Susan Hussey has long been a part of the Royal Family's intimate circle and is Prince William's godmother. She was not counted among the thirty guests in attendance at the funeral as she did not enter into the chapel during the ceremony.
Some of the ladies-in-waiting for the Queen have been on-hand to support the monarch for over 50 years, and Lady Hussey in particular has been, according to The Times, dubbed as the "number one head girl". She was initially employed in 1960 to manage letters sent to Her Majesty following the birth of Prince Andrew, meaning she has given the Queen 61 years of service.
Lady Susan Hussey has also been seen with other senior members of the Royal Family on poignant and notable occasions, for instance during the annual Remembrance Sunday Service at the Cenotaph, Whitehall on 11 November 2012 in London, England.
At this event, she was pictured alongside Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Sophie Rhys-Jones, the Countess of Wessex (Prince Edward's wife).
Tweeting about Lady Susan Hussey's journey to the chapel with Her Majesty, the Daily Mail's royal correspondent, Rebecca English said: "The Queen is now moving in the State Bentley, driving past her husband’s coffin. Her lady in waiting, the Lady Susan Hussey, is with her."
She also commented on how moving it was to see Her Majesty walking into the ceremony alone, then taking a seat by herself (due to being unable to sit closely with anybody outside of her household).
"So, so sad to see the Queen, 94, standing there, so small and alone, looking at the coffin of the only man she ever loved #PrincePhilip," said English, of the sad moment.
Our thoughts are with all of the Royal Family and those close to Prince Philip during this difficult time.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
