The Royal Family will be attending the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey next week. Taking place on Monday, March 9, senior royals will be in attendance, but one royal will be absent.

The Queen has requested the presence of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at the event for what will be their last royal engagement.

The service will be the first time the Royal Family are together following the bombshell announcement Harry and Meghan released detailing their exit from the fold.

Meghan and Harry are expected to stand beside Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William for the service and royal observers will be keen to see the interaction between the ‘fab four’.

Following the announcement of so-called Megxit, sources reported both anger and sadness from Prince William at his brother’s choice.

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But which one royal will miss Commonwealth Day service with the Queen?

Prince Andrew, the Queen and Prince Philip’s second son will not be in attendance during Commonwealth Day commemorations.

This is due to the withdrawal from royal life the Duke of York made in November 2019.

In a statement issued in November, he said: “I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”

This followed a BBC Newsnight interview which questioned the Duke’s relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The backlash which followed the interview saw Prince Andrew’s charitable organisations and other partnerships distance themselves from him.

Andrew will not attend Commonwealth Day service, but there will be no shortage of senior royals among the congregation at Westminster Abbey.

The Queen will be joined by her heir, the Prince of Wales and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall for the service as well as by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

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Prince Charles and Camilla will also be at the annual reception held by the Commonwealth Secretary-General at Marlborough House in London that evening.

During the service, royal family members will meet with key figures involved in the service before listening to readings and musical performances.

Guests of honour will also include Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Commonwealth secretary-general Baroness Scotland.

The Commonwealth Day service is one of the most important dates in the royal calendar, and Prince Andrew had been a regular attendee through the years.

Activities for the day include debates, school assemblies, flag-raising ceremonies, street parties, cultural events and the multicultural, multi-faith service at Westminster Abbey in London.

Commonwealth Day is observed by people all over the Commonwealth in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Americas, the Pacific and Europe.

The Queen as head of the Commonwealth will give a speech, which will be broadcast around the world as the day gets underway.

In the UK, the Union Flag is flown from public buildings on the second Monday in March to mark Commonwealth Day.

A wreath will also be laid at the Commonwealth Memorial Gates in London to remember the sacrifices of Commonwealth soldiers.

The next time we see Prince Andrew may well be for his daughter’s wedding at the end of May.

Princess Beatrice will wed Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi at St James’s Chapel on Friday, May 29.

Andrew is reported to be walking his oldest daughter down the aisle on her big day.

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