Queen’s absence strikes symbolic note as royals gather at jubilee service

Charles stands in for his mother at St Paul's Cathedral in ceremony that pays tribute to her seven-decade reign

The symbolism of a great state service of thanksgiving for an absent Queen was not lost beneath the imposing dome of St Paul's Cathedral. All the more so as the country was paying tribute to her seven decades of public service as Britain's now longest-reigning monarch.

The Prince of Wales was in her stead for the formal procession through a 2,000-strong congregation of prime ministers past and present, parliamentarians, diplomats, a full squad of other royals and 400 members of the public honoured for their community work.