Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie were joined by five previous Prime Ministers at St Paul’s Cathedral today for the Service of Thanksgiving.
For the momentous occasion, Carrie wore a bright red Sandro gown, an AJ Gretton Millinery headpiece, and Dune shoes.
Before taking their seats, she was seen going hand in hand with Mr Johnson up the Cathedral’s steps.
Theresa May, Mr Johnson’s predecessor, arrived with her husband Philip, while David Cameron, who stepped down following the Brexit referendum in 2016, was photographed with his wife Samantha.
Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah, as well as Tony and Cherie Blair, were in attendance.
When Mr Blair was Prime Minister and Mr Brown was his Chancellor, the two men had a tense relationship, yet they were seen smiling as they spoke inside St Paul’s. In 2007, Mr. Brown took over as Prime Minister from Mr. Blair.
Mr and Mrs Blair sat next to Mr Brown and his wife in St Paul’s, while Mr and Mrs Cameron sat to her left.
Mr Johnson and Carrie were sitting two rows in front of former Conservative Prime Minister John Major, who left Downing Street in 1997 after losing the General Election to New Labour’s Tony Blair.
Prince Charles is solemnly representing the 96-year-old queen in a service in London this morning, which Harry and Meghan are also attending for the first time in almost two years.
Following a last-minute decision announced by Buckingham Palace at 7.30pm yesterday, the Queen will miss the ceremony after experiencing ‘discomfort’ during Trooping The Colour festivities earlier in the day.
There will also be no appearance at St Paul’s from Prince Andrew after he tested positive for coronavirus. The Queen will be watching the service from her Berkshire residence, and it will be broadcast nationally on BBC One.
Political guests arrived ahead of the royals, with Cabinet ministers Sajid Javid, Liz Truss and Priti Patel also in attendance.
Soon after, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon arrived with her husband, and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Members of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force lined up on either side of the Great West Door.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have seats in the second row of the congregation, with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands, and Lady Sarah Chatto, the daughter of Princess Margaret, and her family.
Harry and Meghan are seated behind the Earl and Countess of Wessex who are in the front row with their children, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
Across the aisle, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who have ornate chairs, have seats alongside them for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Royal and her husband, Vice Admiral Tim Laurence.
Earlier, a member of the Royal Air Force in the military guard of honour lining the steps to St Paul’s collapsed, but was able to get to his feet and was helped away. Then, a second member of the military personnel also collapsed, but was also able to get to his feet and was helped away on foot, despite a stretcher being brought out.
The Queen is understood to have had episodic mobility issues yesterday – and, in a statement, Buckingham Palace revealed the Queen ‘greatly enjoyed’ her birthday parade and flypast but ‘did experience some discomfort’.
It said: ‘Taking into account the journey and activity required to participate in tomorrow’s National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, Her Majesty, with great reluctance, has concluded that she will not attend.’
It is understood the decision ahead of the service, which begins at 11.30am today, was considered regrettable but sensible due to the length of the journey and time involved and the physical demands the service would require.
Senior members of the monarchy attending this morning also include the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who will be joined by the extended royal family.
Tributes will be paid to the Queen’s ’70 years of faithful and dedicated service’ in front of 2,000 people including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Cabinet ministers, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and former prime ministers.
Public service is the theme at the heart of the religious event, with 400 people who are recipients of honours, including NHS and key workers who were recognised for their work during the pandemic, invited.
The Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, will deliver the sermon to the congregation after stepping in at the 11th hour after the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, contracted Covid-19.
Hundreds of people gathered outside St Paul’s, some wearing Union flag hats and others hanging flags and bunting over the railings on the approach to the cathedral – and many guests had their photographs taken outside the Great West Door, where members of the Royal family are also due to enter the cathedral for the event.