Shropshire Star

What the papers say – April 18

Coverage of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral dominates the papers, along with more news on the Government’s growing ‘sleaze’ scandal.

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A collection of British newspapers

Most of the nation’s front pages feature the same photo – the Queen sitting alone as she farewells her husband of 73 years, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Sunday Mirror splashes with the picture with a headline of “The loneliest goodbye”.

Her Majesty is “truly alone” for the first time in 73 years, says the Daily Star Sunday.

And the Sunday Express carries the photo but assures the Queen “You’re not alone Ma’am”, saying the nation shares her grief.

The Observer runs the photo on its front, but its main story concerns warnings to Boris Johnson that he must act now on the Government’s “sleaze crisis” over lobbying and alleged cronyism.

Similarly, The Independent has the photo of the monarch over a lead story saying David Cameron prevented funding being cut to his legacy project while Prime Minister despite the fact it was failing to meet targets.

The Sunday Times carries a wrap-around pictorial special from the funeral on its front and back pages. It also reports the Queen was “forced to mourn alone”, with another Whitehall lead saying Mr Cameron sought access to NHS data at the height of the first coronavirus wave.

The Sunday Telegraph runs a wider overhead shot from the funeral showing the Duke’s coffin with the Queen in the background, while filling the rest of its front page with a report from the ceremony.

The Sunday People has a sombre and dark front page bearing a close-up of the Queen in her black facemask, its headline saying simply “Alone in her grief”.

And the Mail on Sunday echoes that sentiment with a front page headline of “It was a fitting farewell, Ma’am”.

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