The siblings followed their parents, Kate Middleton and Prince William, to the moving memorial ceremony for their late great-grandfather, which Kate Middleton and Prince William’s oldest children are attending.

On Tuesday, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince George, 8, made an unexpected appearance at Prince Philip’s funeral ceremony.

The siblings came to Westminster Abbey with their parents soon before the commencement of the ceremony, since they are on their Easter holiday from school.

While Prince Louis, Kate and William’s youngest child, was judged too small to attend, George and Charlotte were joined by their cousins, Savannah and Isla Phillips, Peter Phillips’ daughters, and Mia Tindall, who accompanied her parents, Zara and Mike Tindall.

The ceremony on Tuesday will also be William and Kate’s first public appearance since their return from their royal tour of the Caribbean on Sunday.

Representatives from the numerous charities and organizations with whom Prince Philip works will be able to pay homage to him during the moving ceremony. Due to COVID-19 government regulations at the time, Prince Philip’s funeral was shortened last April.

Queen Elizabeth was accompanied to the service by her son Prince Andrew in an unexpected move. Andrew’s first public appearance after his sexual assault case with complainant Virginia Giuffre was resolved six weeks ago. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, as well as their spouses, Eduardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank, were also present.

On Sunday morning, the royal couple came home from an eight-day Caribbean excursion. William and Kate visited Belize, Jamaica, and the Bahamas last week.

William made an uncommon remark regarding the turmoil that has followed the couple on their trip only hours before their return home.

On an official trip, the royal couple experienced a substantial reaction for the first time. Although they have been greeted warmly by many locals, tensions are rising in the Caribbean countries where William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, remains the head of state.

William reflected on the future governance of the Caribbean nations in his statement on Saturday, saying, “I know that this tour has brought into even sharper focus questions about the past and the future. In Belize, Jamaica, and The Bahamas, that future is for the people to decide upon.”

At a time when the monarchy is in transition, a growing wave of social and economic justice movements — including requests for slavery reparations and indigenous rights expansion — is swiftly transforming modern views of the monarchy: As Elizabeth, who is 95 years old, celebrates her 70th year on the throne, William and Kate are becoming more and more the modern face of the family and the institution.

At a time when the monarchy is in transition, a growing wave of social and economic justice movements — including requests for slavery reparations and indigenous rights expansion — is swiftly transforming modern views of the monarchy: As Elizabeth, who is 95 years old, celebrates her 70th year on the throne, William and Kate are becoming more and more the modern face of the family and the institution.

“William and Kate are more important to the future of the British monarchy spiritually than in terms of real succession,” historian Sarah Gristwood tells PEOPLE.