Family grateful

Royal family appreciative of support after Prince Philip’s death.

London

Britain’s Prince Charles offered a heartfelt tribute to his “dear Papa” on Saturday as Buckingham Palace offered the broad outlines of a royal funeral that will be attended by the family and broadcast to the world.

As Queen Elizabeth II and other relatives mourned, Charles offered a personal video message saying the royal family was “deeply grateful” for the outpouring of support they’ve received following the death Friday of his 99-year-old father, Prince Philip. The heir to the throne said he was touched by the number of people around the world who have shared his family’s loss and sorrow.

“My dear Papa was a very special person who I think, above all else, would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him,” Charles said, speaking from his southwestern England home of Highgrove. “And from that point of view we are, my family, deeply grateful for all that. It will sustain us in this particular loss and at this particularly sad time.”

Philip’s royal ceremonial funeral will take place April 17 at Windsor Castle — a slimmed-down service amid the COVID -19 pandemic that will be closed to the public. The palace insisted the royals would strictly adhere to national virus guidelines.

Philip, the queen’s husband of 73 years who was also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, took part in planning his own funeral and its focus on family was in accordance with his wishes.

Prince Harry, Philip’s grandson who stepped away from royal duties last year and now lives in California, will attend the service at Windsor. His wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is pregnant and has been advised by her doctor not to make the long journey to the U.K.

Another no-show will be Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose office said he would not attend because current coronavirus restrictions limit funerals to 30 people, so by staying away that would “allow for as many family members as possible.”

Earlier Saturday, military teams across the U.K. and on ships at sea fired 41-gun salutes to mark Philip’s death, honoring the former naval officer.

Glyn Kirk / Getty Images The Death Gun Salute is fired Saturday by the Honourable Artillery Company to mark the passing of Britain's Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the Tower of London the day after his death at the age of 99. Military guns were fired across Britain and sporting events fell silent on Saturday as part of worldwide tributes to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II'S husband.