The Archbishop of Canterbury has said the Queen “did the right thing” by sitting alone at the funeral of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. 

Justin Welby commended Her Majesty for her “duty, leadership and character” as the Monarch becomes the first ever to celebrate a platinum jubilee. 

As part of an interview with the BBC ahead of the royal milestone, the Archbishop said Queen Elizabeth II had committed herself to a life of duty and public service.  

He said: “The clearest moment for me, the absolute summit of that, was that at the funeral of her husband of 70-something years, she sat alone.

“That was leadership, it was doing the right thing, it was duty, it set an example.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury was present at the funeral, which took place at Windsor Castle. 

Welby continued: “She takes her duties seriously, but she doesn’t take herself very seriously. She laughs in private, she has an absolutely superb sense of humour.

“‘It’s not about me’ almost sums up her reign.”