The Queen will be accompanied to her husband’s funeral in the state Bentley by a lady-in-waiting, but will sit alone in St George’s Chapel.
The vehicle will form part of the procession making its way to the chapel on Saturday afternoon.
While the Queen will be joined by her trusted companion on her way to the service, she will sit by herself in the quire of the chapel, with all mourners following Covid-19 guidelines and remaining socially distanced.
The lady-in-waiting will not sit in the quire and is not counted among the guest list of 30.
The Palace has not said which lady-in-waiting will accompany the Queen in the vehicle.
The Queen’s ladies-in-waiting, personally chosen by the monarch, have a variety of duties including attending to private and personal matters for the Queen and handling her correspondence.
They include her senior lady-in-waiting, Lady Susan Hussey, who was married to the late BBC chairman Marmaduke Hussey.
The Queen’s ladies-in-waiting have also been part of HMS Bubble – the name given to the reduced selection of around 20 staff attending to the Queen at Windsor during lockdown.
Some of the ladies-in-waiting have been with the Queen for more than 50 years and act as both friends and loyal assistants, and their discretion and support will be invaluable.
Details of Philip’s funeral have been released by Buckingham Palace and it has been confirmed the Queen – like all 30 guests invited to the service – will wear a facemask in the car and in the chapel.
The Queen will depart the Sovereign’s Entrance in the state Bentley accompanied by a lady-in-waiting at 2.44pm.
