David Attenborough did not attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral at Westminster Abbey

Sir David Attenborough was not in attendance at Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral after she passed away at the age of 96, despite being invited to Westminster Abbey on Monday (19 September).

The British environmentalist and broadcaster, 96, was a close friend with the late monarch after working together over her seven decades of reigning including several Christmas addresses and being born 17 days apart.

However, the Frozen Planet creator, who lives in London, was not seen by the four billion people who watched the broadcast of Her Majesty’s funeral from around the world, causing people to question whether he was there or not.

It comes after reports stated the 96-year-old was invited to the service in addition to other celebrities like Elton John and Bear Grylls.

The Mirror said: “Royal Family favourite Sir David Attenborough will join mourners in the Abbey,” while other news sources said he was reported to attend.

In light of this, people came to believe that David was sitting further back in Westminster Abbey away from the cameras or allegedly working with BBC crews for the broadcast.

The former speculation was discredited as mourners were photographed all morning in London entering the Abbey for the service.

Although the broadcaster was not seen at the state funeral, Sir David paid tribute to the Queen after she passed away at Balmoral Castle by issuing a statement to PA News agency saying the “whole nation is bereaved”.

He said: “If there was a technical hitch, she wanted to know what it was, and if it had a funny side, she was quick to see the joke.

“Yet not for one second could you forget that you were in the presence of someone who had willingly accepted enormous responsibility and dedicated her life to serving the nation - that you were, in short, in the presence of royalty.”

The late Queen first knighted Sir David Attenborough in 1985 and was knighted again in 2022 for his services.

Their rapport was evident from their work on ITV’s documentary The Queen’s Green Planet in 2017 where the two British icons walked around Buckingham Palace’s gardens chatting about the Commonwealth and other informal conversations - and more recently, Attenborough took part in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.