Scaled down funeral for Prince Philip
THE funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh will take place on Saturday at St George’s Chapel within Windsor Castle. Due to coronavirus restrictions only 30 people will be permitted to attend and only the Queen, the couple’s children and grandchildren and other close family will be present.
It will be televised live, starting at 3pm, and no other public events will take place to avoid crowds gathering and instead the entire funeral will take place within the grounds of Windsor Castle, where the Queen and the Duke had been staying throughout lockdown before he was admitted to hospital.
The plans include the coffin being taken from the castle to the chapel in a specially modified Land Rover Prince Philip had helped to design.
Buckingham Palace said senior royals, including Prince Charles, will follow on foot.
In line with current restrictions those attending will require to be socially distanced and wearing face coverings during the service.
There will be a national minute’s silence as the funeral begins at 3pm. Members of the Royal family including Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie and their daughter Lady Louise Windsor attended church at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor.
Prince Andrew said: “The Queen as you would expect is an incredibly stoic person.
“She described it as having left a huge void in her life but we, the family, the ones that are close, are rallying round to make sure that we’re there to support her.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not be attending the funeral to allow as many family members as possible to attend.
He has recommended a period of national mourning until the day of the funeral, which the Queen has approved. She has also decided her family will enter two weeks of royal mourning according to a senior royal official.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has of course required us to make significant adaptations to the original arrangements for His Royal Highness’s funeral.
“However, we are certain that the occasion will be no less fitting a farewell to His Royal Highness, marking his significant duty and service to the nation and the Commonwealth.”
The spokesman added: “While there is sadness that the public will not be able to physically be part of events to commemorate the life of the duke, the royal family asks that anyone wishing to express their condolences do so in the safest way possible and not by visiting Windsor or any other royal palaces to pay their respects.”
The coffin will be draped with The Duke of Edinburgh’s personal standard, and decorated with a wreath of flowers and his Naval cap and sword.