The Queen (opens in new tab) broke the hearts of people around the world today when images were released of her sitting alone at the funeral (opens in new tab) of her husband, Prince Philip.

The poignant photos capture Queen Elizabeth II (opens in new tab) clearly experiencing the grief and sadness of her loss. During the funeral, several commentators recalled the Queen's message about grief and loss nearly 20 years ago, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the United States.

"Grief is the price we pay for love," the Queen said at the time (opens in new tab) in a message of support for those who lost loved ones in the attacks. to adjust to life without Philip (opens in new tab), whom she married in 1947, the Queen now reflects personally It is something that many believe she is doing.

The Queen was joined by several members of the royal family (and millions of people around the world) in mourning Philip's death and paying tribute to her husband of 73 years. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, other members of the royal family were unable to be physically near the queen during the funeral.

As CNN (opens in new tab) reported, all funeral guests who were not members of the same household were required to sit two meters away. The Queen spent most of last year in a bubble with Philip and his household staff, so she could not sit near other family members during the funeral, which was held at St. George's Chapel in Windsor (opens in new tab).

The guest list for the funeral was also limited by COVID-19 restrictions, with only 30 people able to gather in person for the funeral. Prince Harry (open in new tab) sat alone, at least two meters away from the other mourners, as he has been sequestered in California with his wife Meghan Markle and son Archie since last spring.