Queen Elizabeth II may be forced to sit by herself at the funeral of her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip.
Ongoing COVID-19 restrictions enforced by the UK government mean that all funeral attendees must stay at least 2m apart from those outside their household, and everyone must wear a mask indoors.
While many other members of the Royal Family will be at the service at George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday (UK time), they aren't part of the Queen's bubble, which was drastically reduced to include just a small group of staff members amid the pandemic.
The fact the Queen does not live alone excludes her from being allowed to merge with another household, such as Prince Charles', to form a support bubble.
According to The Telegraph, the monarch may be able to sit with the Duke of Edinburgh's private secretary, Brigadier Archie Miller-Bakewell, who is expected to be one of the just 30 mourners allowed to attend the ceremony.
The Queen returned to her royal duties just four days after 99-year-old Philip's death, hosting a ceremony for a key royal aide who was retiring after 14 years of service.
The same rules that will likely leave The Queen isolated during the funeral service may well also see Prince Harry sitting alone - having travelled solo from his California home to attend the event.
Meghan Markle, who is expecting the couple's second child, was advised by doctors not to fly, and will remain in the US while Harry mourns his grandfather and reunites with his family after more than a year amid a well-publicised rift.
