The royal cousins are clearly close
Yesterday, members of the royal family gathered at Westminster Abbey for Prince Philip’s memorial service. Taking place 11 months after the Duke’s death, many family members present hadn’t been able to attend his funeral last year due to Covid-19 restrictions.
This meant many of the royal family’s younger generation were paying their respects to their great grandfather for the first time — including cousins Princess Charlotte and Mia Tindall.
At the end of the ceremony, as Princess Charlotte walked out with her parents Prince William and Kate Middleton, Mia Tindall had the sweetest reaction.
The camera caught Mia searching to catch a glimpse of her cousin, and then waving at Charlotte excitedly after presumably catching her eye (you can watch the clip via Hello! magazine).
Mia, who is Princess Ann’s granddaughter, is now eight years old — two years older than Princess Charlotte. The eldest daughter of Zara and Mike Tindall, Mia was sat with her younger sister Lena, who is three.
Royal fans were delighted that the brief exchange between the cousins was caught on camera.
One user named @loveforcambride wrote: "Aw so cute! I love how close the Cambridges and Tindalls are."
"Adorable", said another user, @samgrac79203530, with a smiling face with hearts emoji.
Charlotte attended with her brother, Prince George, and the event marked their first major televised church service. Their younger brother Prince Louis stayed at home.
But the most notable absences from the day was Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The couple and their children Archie and Lilibet stayed at home in California due to security concerns.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are in the middle of a legal dispute over the security available to them when they're visiting the UK. Until it’s resolved, Prince Harry has said that he is "unable to return home".
When Harry stepped back from his royal duties and moved to the US in 2020, he lost his right to taxpayer-funded police protection. However, the Home Office has ruled that Harry can’t self-fund protection for his family when they’re visiting the UK either.
A statement from the Sussex’s read: "While his role within the Institution has changed, his profile as a member of the royal family has not. Nor has the threat to him and his family."
The statement concluded: "In absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return home.”
Let’s hope the dispute will be settled in time for the summer, when Harry is due to come to London to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
