The reason why Queen Elizabeth II (and now King Charles III) left a vacant seat at services held in Windsor.

On September 8, three years will have passed since the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Despite her absence, her legacy and memory remain present. For instance, on May 30, the British royal family published the gifts received by both the late monarch and the current King Charles III between 2021 and 2023. This detailed list had been delayed due to Queen Elizabeth’s death, her eldest son’s coronation, and her cancer diagnosis. The longest-reigning British monarch is still a topic of conversation among the British people, especially due to an interesting anecdote about protocol. The Mirror has revisited an action that puzzled many during the royal weddings held in 2018. Specifically, the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as Princess Eugenie of York, daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, with Jack Brooksbank.

Both events had hundreds of guests filling St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Despite the large attendance, there was one empty seat that no one occupied, which happened to be the best spot in the ceremony: next to the altar in the front row. At the Sussex dukes’ wedding, next to the vacant space were Prince William, then Prince Charles III, Camilla, and Kate Middleton. In the second row, right behind that empty seat, sat Queen Elizabeth II (and beside her was the Duke of Edinburgh). At the time, during the Sussex dukes’ wedding, there were speculations about whether this decision was a tribute to the late Diana of Wales, who died in a car accident on August 31, 1997. However, it had nothing to do with it, although she was very much present throughout the ceremony.

As revealed by the British outlet, it was a tradition to leave the seat in front of the queen empty so she could have an unobstructed view of the happenings. Why didn’t Queen Elizabeth sit in that spot to avoid blocking her view? The answer is simple: it was not comfortable for her, and she thus chose to move one row back.

Five months later, the same St. George’s Chapel was the setting for the second royal wedding of the year: that of Eugenie of York. This time, next to the empty seat, were the bride’s parents. Her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, occupied exactly the same place in the second row, behind the empty seat (and, again, beside the Duke of Edinburgh). At that moment, many speculated: a significant last-minute absence, another tribute to a deceased relative… yet again, all were incorrect.

Historically, the British royal family has always chosen the choir benches located to the right of the altar: Queen Elizabeth at the far right, while the others sit according to their order of importance in the event or act in question.

Leaving that space seems to have become a tradition. During the funeral of Philip of Edinburgh, her husband for 73 years, and although the chapel was completely empty due to health restrictions during the pandemic, Queen Elizabeth chose to sit in that same spot in the second row. It is one of the most remembered historical images: completely alone and in mourning with a matching mask.

A tradition that King Charles III seems to have continued. Rarely is media access allowed to services held at St. George’s Chapel—only for those deemed significantly newsworthy—so one of the last images dates back to September 2022, during the funeral held in honor of Queen Elizabeth II. Again, the seat remained empty, and the new monarch chose to sit in the second row, next to Queen Camilla. In the front row sat Edward and Sophie of Edinburgh, right in front of Princess Anne and Prince Andrew. What remains unclear is whether this is a definitive decision or another tribute to his mother.