FUNERAL WILL HONOUR PHILIP'S LOYALTY TO QUEEN
To reflect Duke's desire to avoid unnecessary fuss
LONDON • The Duke of Edinburgh will be remembered Saturday for his “kindness, humour and humanity” and his “unwavering loyalty” to the Queen.
There will be no eulogy or sermon at this afternoon's funeral at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, and no members of the Royal Family will give readings.
Instead, the deeply personal ceremony will reflect the Duke's desire to avoid unnecessary fuss, and will focus on Royal Navy tradition and his love of the sea. In keeping with COVID guidelines and convention for a ceremonial royal funeral, the 50-minute service will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Queen, 94, will sit alone in the Quire, two metres from any family members and wearing a mask, and will take no active part. To mark the occasion, however, Buckingham Palace Friday night released a previously unseen photograph, chosen by the Queen, depicting her and the Duke at the top of the Coyles of Muick, on the Balmoral estate, in 2003.
The photograph shows the pair relaxed and off duty, enjoying the scenery in one of their favourite beauty spots. It was taken by the Countess of Wessex. Last month, it emerged that the Queen had named one of her two new corgis Muick, in honour of the hills.
The Dean of Windsor will open the service with the bidding, in which he will pay tribute to the Duke's many decades of public service. “With grateful hearts, we remember the many ways in which his long life has been a blessing to us,” he will say.
“We have been inspired by his unwavering loyalty to our Queen, by his service to the nation and the Commonwealth, by his courage, fortitude and faith.” Standing before the group of 30 mourners, the Dean will describe how their lives have been “enriched” through the Duke's challenges, encouragement, “his kindness, humour and humanity.”. Later, during the prayers, the Dean will also say that the Duke has “left us a fair pattern of valiant and true knighthood.”
The Archbishop will also lead prayers, and praise the Duke's “resolute faith and loyalty,” “his high sense of duty and integrity” and “the courage and inspiration of his leadership.”
Before the service, members of the Royal Family will gather at the State Entrance of Windsor Castle before the Duke's coffin emerges. It is likely to be the first time that the Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex have seen each other in over a year.
Buckingham Palace refused to comment on whether there will be a reception after the service, but has insisted all relevant guidelines will be followed. Coronavirus rules restrict commemorative events to a maximum of 15 people. Despite officially being in a two-week period of mourning, the Queen carried out a further two engagements Friday, speaking by telephone to both David Hurley, the governor-general of Australia, and Justin Trudeau. The Prince of Wales held a telephone meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Every moment of the Duke's funeral has been planned and rehearsed to leave nothing to chance.
From the moment his coffin emerges from Windsor Castle, until the moment — almost five hours later — when it is lowered slowly into the Royal Vault beneath the altar at St George's Chapel, the day has been designed to reflect the Duke's military heritage and achievements.
Two pieces of music included in the service, The Jubilate by Benjamin Britten and Psalm 104, were written at the Duke's personal request. The ceremony, which will begin at 3 p.m. local time after the short procession within the grounds of Windsor Castle, will have a strong nautical theme, reflecting the Duke's association with the navy.
The first lesson, taken from Ecclesiasticus, says: “Those who sail the sea tell stories of its dangers, which astonish all who hear them; in it are strange and wonderful creatures, all kinds of living things and huge sea monsters.”
The hymn Eternal Father, Strong to Save will be sung by the choir. It is traditionally associated with seafarers and is inspired by the dangers of the sea described in Psalm 107. Action Stations, the naval call, will be sounded by buglers toward the end of the service before the blessing.
In a nod to his Russian forebears, the Duke has also included a traditional Russian Orthodox anthem.
The Duke's coffin, covered with his personal standard, his naval cap, sword and a wreath of flowers, will be moved from the Private Chapel to the Inner Hall at Windsor Castle at 11 a.m.
At 2:20 p.m., members of the family and the Duke's family who are not taking part in the procession behind the coffin, and his close friend Countess Mountbatten of Burma will depart by car for the short drive to St George's Chapel. Some 21 minutes later, the Duke's coffin will be carried out of the State Entrance and lifted on to a custom-made Land Rover, where it will begin its slow journey to the chapel, followed by nine members of the Royal Family. The Queen will follow in the state Bentley.
At 3 p.m., there will be a minute's silence before the coffin is carried through the nave. Ceremonial gunfire will sound at nine locations across the U.K. to mark the beginning and the end of the silence. British Armed Forces stationed around the world will pay tribute by lowering flags to half mast.
Johnson will watch the funeral at Chequers. A wreath was laid at the chapel on behalf of the prime minister Friday, paying tribute to the Duke, saying the nation owes him “more than words can say.”