Who accompanied the Queen in the car to Prince Philip’s funeral?

The fact that Prince Philip's funeral was limited to thirty immediate family members and associates owing to coronavirus-related limitations has received a lot of attention. According to COVID-19 limits, the Queen had to remain alone throughout the ceremony at Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel.

Her Majesty, on the other hand, was not alone when driving to the event.

Many people might have asked who would stand by the Queen after she lost Philip, her consort – and rock – for the previous seven decades.

Viewers and social media users were trying to figure out who was in the Queen's vehicle.

Lady Susan Hussey, the Queen's lady-in-waiting, was allowed to join her because she is part of a slimmed-down body of workers (dubbed HMS Bubble) that has been caring for Her Majesty during the pandemic. On such a difficult day, having Lady Hussey with her was undoubtedly a source of consolation.

Lady Susan Hussey, 81, is the 12th Earl Waldegrave's fifth and youngest daughter, Mary Hermione, Countess Waldegrave.

She was married to Marmaduke Hussey, the late BBC chairman, who died in 2006.

She was appointed Queen's Woman of the Bedchamber in 1960, initially to reply to letters after the birth of Prince Andrew.

She has supported the Queen for six decades and has been one of her most reliable confidantes.

Lady Susan Hussey, also Prince William's godmother, has long been a close friend of the Royal Family. Since she did not enter the chapel during the service, she was not included among the thirty people who attended the funeral.

Some of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting have been supporting the king for more than 50 years, and Lady Hussey in particular has been nicknamed the “number one head girl” according to The Times.

HMS Bubble – the name assigned to the reduced selection of about 20 workers attending to the Queen at Windsor throughout lockdown – has included the Queen's ladies-in-waiting.

Lady Susan Hussey has also been seen alongside other senior members of the Royal Family on important occasions, such as the annual Remembrance Sunday Service at the Cenotaph, Whitehall in London, England on November 11, 2012.

Who is a lady-in-waiting?

A lady-in-waiting, also known as a court lady, is a female personal assistant to a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman at a court.

The Queen's ladies-in-waiting are selected by the monarch and have a multitude of responsibilities, including attending to the Queen's private and personal affairs and managing her communications.

A lady-in-waiting was traditionally a noblewoman in Europe, but she was of lower status than the woman she served.

A lady-in-waiting today is more akin to a personal assistant or confidante.

The ladies-in-waiting serve as both friends and trusted aides, and their discretion and guidance would be indispensable.