Here's How They Really Came Up With The Seating Chart For The Queen's Funeral
On September 19, Queen Elizabeth II's funeral was held at Westminster Abbey. The guest list was a big topic of discussion among viewers, with many wondering who would be in attendance and who would be left out of the proceedings. With a new rule in place to limit the number of people, former United States presidents — including Donald Trump and Barack Obama — were notably left out, per USA Today. But it was just not people. In fact, according to the Independent, entire countries did not receive invites, including Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Russia, Belarus, and Myanmar.
Those who did get an invite included 2,000 royal family members, royal families from other countries, heads of states, and other world leaders. On the day of the funeral, those with the coveted invites entered Westminster Abbey, with the final attendee being the queen's coffin, per The Evening Standard. But as the 55-minute service began, our eyes were stuck on the seating arrangements, looking to see who was seated next to who and which royals would land in the front row.
The royal family was seated at the front, with world leaders towards the back
It makes sense that Queen Elizabeth II's family would be at the front of her funeral, but familial bonds are not the only reason the royals are all seated in the first few rows. According to E! News, the royal family is seated in order of precedence, a tradition the royals have followed for all funerals. King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, sat in what is called the "Canada Club Chairs," which are chairs that can only be used by the most senior royal and their spouse. Their children and their spouses sat beside them. According to Town & Country, the other side of the aisle from the king (and also considered the front row), sat William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales, along with their two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte (their youngest, Prince Louis, did not attend the funeral). Princess Anne's son and daughter sat next to them along with her daughter's husband.
The following five rows were filled by other members of the royal family. Those outside the family were seated further back. According to E! News, President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden sat in the 14th row.