The Queen carries out first duty since Prince Philip's death - BBC News
Her Majesty receives the wand and insignia of the Lord Chamberlain in a private ceremony at Windsor.
The Queen during a visit to the Royal Australian Air Force Memorial on 31 March

The Queen has conducted her first in-person royal duty since her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, died on Friday.

The monarch hosted a ceremony in which the Earl Peel formally stood down as Lord Chamberlain, whose office organises royal ceremonies.

During a private event held at Windsor Castle, the Queen accepted her former royal aide's wand and office insignia.

The Royal Family is observing two weeks of mourning. The duke's funeral will take place at Windsor on Saturday.

A royal official said members of the family would continue "to undertake engagements appropriate to the circumstances".

The Princess Royal undertook an engagement on Wednesday - visiting the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight

The Earl Peel announced he would retire as Lord Chamberlain last year, with his replacement Andrew Parker, a former MI5 chief, beginning in the role just over a week before Prince Philip died.

Tuesday's official engagement was recorded in the Court Circular - a daily list of the events attended by the Queen and her family.

It said: "The Earl Peel had an audience of The Queen today, delivered up his Wand and Insignia of Office as Lord Chamberlain and the Badge of Chancellor of the Royal Victorian Order and took leave upon relinquishing his appointment as Lord Chamberlain, when Her Majesty invested him with the Royal Victorian Chain."

The Earl Peel had overseen arrangements for the duke's funeral - known as Operation Forth Bridge.

The Lord Chamberlain's Office, led by the Queen's Comptroller Lieutenant Colonel Michael Vernon, is tasked with the practical side of the day.

But in overall charge is Baron Parker who took up his new role on 1 April, following the Earl Peel's retirement after more than 14 years in the post.

As Lord Chamberlain, the Earl Peel - seen here in 2010 - oversaw the planning of dozens of royal ceremonies

Despite losing her beloved husband of 73 years on Friday and being a week away from her 95th birthday, the Queen is carrying on with the job.

She never really stopped. On the day it was announced that Prince Philip had died, she had to go through the revised funeral plans which she then approved. They were made public the following day.

One imagines that, had she wanted to, yesterday's audience to mark the retirement of the former Lord Chamberlain could have been postponed until the period of royal mourning was ended. But that is not her way.

In an interview with the BBC, the former Prime Minister Sir John Major said he hoped the Queen would be given time and privacy.

"I know she is the monarch, I know she has responsibilities, but she has earned the right to have a period of privacy in which to grieve with her family," he commented.

Few would disagree but the Queen has a work ethic and commitment to duty and service which she has always placed above all other considerations.

The ceremony at Windsor Castle came after the Queen held a phone call with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday, according to the Court Circular.

On Sunday, the Duke of York said the Queen had told her family that Prince Philip's death at the age of 99 "left a huge void" in her life.

He added: "The Queen, as you would expect, is an incredibly stoic person.

"She described it as having left a huge void in her life but we, the family, the ones that are close, are rallying round to make sure that we're there to support her."

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The funeral, on Saturday at 15:00 BST, will be a much more low-key event due to the pandemic, but Buckingham Palace says the plans reflect Prince Philip's wishes.

His coffin will be carried in a modified Land Rover, which the duke helped to design, as part of a procession from the State Entrance of Windsor Castle to St George's Chapel.

Members of the Royal Family will walk behind the coffin, although the Queen will travel separately. Meanwhile, guns will be fired in salute and a bell will toll.

Inside the chapel, the Royal Family will wear face masks and keep to social distancing rules. Only 30 people will be able to attend, in line with coronavirus regulations.

The Duke of Sussex has returned to the UK from his home in the US to attend the funeral, although the Duchess of Sussex will not make the trip on medical advice.
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