Here's why Kate Middleton didn't stand with the Queen for Remembrance Sunday

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Coronavirus has changed life as we know it, and following the three-month enforced self-isolation earlier this year, the UK government has instating a second 4-week lockdown. Running from Thursday 5 November to Wednesday 2 December, the precautionary guidelines are in place to control the outbreak.

And just like last time, royal family members are not exempt.

The Mountbatten-Windsors did make an exception over the weekend however, coming out in force to mark Remembrance Day.

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“May the memory of their sacrifice and bravery remain with us always.” Her Majesty The Queen led the nation in remembrance to all those who have died in two world wars and other conflicts at the #RemembranceSunday service at the Cenotaph. The Prince of Wales laid a wreath at the Cenotaph on behalf of The Queen this #RemembranceDay A wreath was also laid on behalf of The Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke of Cambridge, The Earl of Wessex, The Princess Royal and The Duke of Kent all laid wreaths at the Cenotaph which serves as a national shrine to the memory of all lives lost in war. The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duchess of Cambridge, The Countess of Wessex and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence joined Her Majesty to watch the service from the balcony of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office building. #WeWillRememberThem #LestWeForget Photograph ©1-8 @pa, 9 © @markacuthbert

A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Nov 8, 2020 at 7:35am PST

The royal family usually honours the day (11 November) by joining political leaders, World War veterans and members of the Armed Forces for a service and a wreath laying at the foot of the Cenotaph memorial.

This year however, as with all proceedings, the event was scaled-back with social distancing rules in place.

While the Queen travelled down to Buckingham Palace for the event and joined royal family members as usual to watch the proceedings from a Buckingham Palace balcony, people were surprised that she wasn’t standing next to the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Cornwall as usual.

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On #RemembranceSunday The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined The Queen and Members of the Royal Family for the annual Remembrance Day Service at The Cenotaph. This year the @RoyalBritishLegion encouraged us all to to take to our windows and doorsteps for a two minutes’ silence at 11am on Sunday November 8, to remember and honour those who have sacrificed themselves to secure and protect our freedom. Swipe to see more from across the UK: Image 3: Merchant Navy veteran Bill Bennett, 94, wears his medals whilst at his home in Kidderminster. Image 4: D-Day veteran Jim Healy, 95, from Manchester. Jim was a Corporal in the Royal Marines and was coxswain of a landing craft assault on June 6, 1944. Image 5: Veteran Charlie MacVicar, who served for 23 years with the Royal Scots, at the Royal British Legion Remembrance Garden in Grangemouth. Image 6: A camera phone is set up to film and live-stream a closed and socially distanced remembrance service at Exeter Cathedral. Image 7: Seymour 'Bill' Taylor, 95, from Colchester in Essex, who served as an Able Seaman in the Royal Navy onboard HMS Emerald during the D-Day landings joins neighbours in the street to observe the two minutes silence. Image 8: The National Memorial Arboretum, where a virtual Act of Remembrance from the Armed Forces Memorial was broadcast online.

A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@kensingtonroyal) on Nov 8, 2020 at 5:01am PST

Usually the monarch stands in between the Duchesses, but this weekend due to social distancing, there were only two people allowed on each balcony, spaced two metres apart.

The Queen stood next to her lady-in-waiting Mrs Susan Rhodes and Kate shared a balcony with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Another change to the proceedings was that the Queen did not lay the wreath at the foot of the Cenotaph memorial as usual. This was instead done by Prince Charles in her place.

Remembrance Day is on 11 November.

The post Here's why Kate Middleton didn't stand with the Queen for Remembrance Sunday appeared first on Marie Claire.

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