Why Princess Mary was noticeably absent from Queen Elizabeth's funeral
Royal fans were quick to notice a suspicious absence from Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Monday.
Despite being confirmed on the guest list, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark was noticeably missing from the congregation of famous faces.
The Aussie-born royal confirmed her plan to attend the state service via a palace statement last week.
“HM (Her Majesty) The Queen and The Crown Prince Couple (Prince Frederik and Princess Mary) will be present at the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on 19 September 2022 at Westminster Abbey in London, Great Britain,” the statement read at the time.
However, only Prince Frederik and his 82-year-old mother, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, were photographed inside the church, where they sat in the front row opposite King Charles III.
The Danish Royal Family has since edited the initial statement on its official website, which now simply reads, “HM The Queen and the Crown Prince Couple are present at the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on 19 September 2022 at Westminster Abbey in London, Great Britain.”
The updated statement made no mention of Crown Princess Mary.
Danish tabloids have offered a possible explanation for the embarrassing blunder, saying the invitation may have been "made in error", citing a spokesperson from the Danish Royal House.
“There has been a regrettable error in the invitation from the British Foreign Office’s protocol. It is thus only the Queen and the Crown Prince who, from the Danish side, will participate in Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral on Monday,” a spokesperson reportedly confirmed to local publication BT.
There were reportedly only two dignitaries per country permitted to attend.
The outlet’s royal correspondent, Jacob Heinel Jensen, said he believed the Danish royals would be embarrassed by the oversight.
“It’s really clumsy and unfortunate. It has meant that the Royal House must now say that a mistake had been made, and that is embarrassing,” he said.
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