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Cambridge children 'unlikely to be present' at Prince Philip's funeral

The Cambridges, with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis - PA
The Cambridges, with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis - PA

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's three children are not expected to be among the 30 mourners who attend the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral, The Daily Telegraph understands.

The Cambridges have been careful to protect Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two, from the public gaze, and made clear from the outset that they would shield them from the pressures of royal life while they were young.

Watch: The wonderful life of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh

While the ceremony on Saturday will be very much a family occasion, the children are understood to be considered too young to join the procession that will follow the Duke's coffin on foot within the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Their attendance would also take three coveted spots for older relatives who have known the Duke for most of their lives. A Buckingham Palace spokesman has confirmed that the Duke's children and grandchildren would all attend alongside Her Majesty.

With spouses, if all attend, they would number 20 in total. The remaining ten are thought likely to comprise the Queen's cousins, including Princess Alexandra, 84, who remains a working royal, although she has not undertaken an official engagement since last July.

Prince Philip: his funeral
Prince Philip: his funeral

The Duke of Gloucester, 76, and the Duke of Kent, 85, also cousins of the Queen, could attend, alongside their wives, the Duchess of Gloucester, 74, and the Duchess of Kent, 88. Prince Michael of Kent, 78, another cousin, is also a likely attendee, alongside his wife, Princess Michael, 76.

The three final spaces could include Princess Margaret's children, David Armstrong-Jones, the Earl of Snowdon, 59, and Lady Sarah Chatto, 56.

Other mourners who might be invited to the ceremony include Lady Pamela Hicks, 91, a first cousin of the Duke, and Countess Mountbatten, a close friend of the Duke who was often pictured out carriage riding with him.

The Duke's private secretary, Brigadier Archie Miller-Bakewell, will be among the pall bearers who move the Duke's coffin to the castle's state entrance before the ceremony, alongside one of his protection officers, two of his pages and two of his valets.

Prince Philip's funeral guest list
Prince Philip's funeral guest list

But only Mr Miller-Bakewell, who worked for the Duke for more than a decade, will go on to enter the chapel with the Royal family, a Buckingham Palace spokesman confirmed.

It is not yet known whether the spouses of younger royals, such as Jack Brooksbank, who married Princess Eugenie in 2018, or Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who wed Princess Beatrice in July, will be included on the list.

Similarly, it is thought unlikely that the Duchess of York will be included, although she continues to live with her estranged husband, the Duke of York, at Royal Lodge in Windsor.

The last royal ceremonial funeral was that of the Queen Mother, on April 9 2002, when Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who both attended, were 13 and 12 respectively.

Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said: "Even in normal times, the Cambridge children would probably have been deemed too young to attend."

Watch: What happens next following the death of the Duke of Edinburgh?