Senior members of the royal family have gathered at the memorial to pay their respects to Prince Philip

LONDON – Senior members of the royal family around the world are gathering on Tuesday at Westminster Abbey for a memorial service for Prince Philip, which will include hymns and other touches that were omitted from his funeral last year due to the epidemic.

According to Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II is planning to attend the Thanksgiving ceremony. The 95-year-old King was deeply involved in the planning of the event, but in recent weeks he has had problems with indefinite mobility and his presence at the event has been unclear.

Elizabeth, who recently recovered from COVID-19, did not attend a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey earlier this month, but she continued with other scheduled engagements, including a personal audience.

About 1,800 family members and guests have been invited to the memorial. Only 30 people attended last year’s funeral, which was conducted under strict COVID-19 lockdown rules, which forced the queen to sit alone after wearing a black mask as she mourned the loss of her husband, whom she called her rock.

Philip died April 9 at the age of 99.

The song “Guide Me, You Are the Great Liberator” on Tuesday’s service will fulfill Philip’s wish for the funeral which was not done due to the ban on singing.

Young people participating in programs run by the Prince’s Duke of Edinburgh Charity and the Youth Cadet Association will line up at Abbey’s to welcome guests to the service.

The British royal family will be joined by about 30 foreign royal family members, including Prince Albert of Monaco, Queen Margaret of Denmark, King Harold and Queen Sonja of Norway, and King Philip VI of Spain and Queen Letizia.

Philip’s large family and friends are expected to attend, with 500 delegates from charities and other groups supporting him.