ONE LAST MOMENT WITH HER PRINCE
Revealed: Queen’s poignant farewell
THE Queen will say a private farewell to Prince Philip before his coffin leaves Windsor Castle for today’s funeral.
The monarch, 94, will take a moment to reflect at the duke’s side ahead of his final journey to St George’s Chapel.
Sources say she has been the ‘epitome of dignity’ this week as she deals with the loss of her husband of 73 years, and has insisted on personally signing off final preparations for the 3pm service.
Buckingham Palace has shared a touching unseen picture of the
Queen with her husband, who died peacefully at the castle on Friday last week at 99.
It shows the couple at one of their ‘happy places’ – the Coyles of Muick hills close to Balmoral, where they enjoyed walking and picnics together throughout their long lives together. The Queen so loves the place that she named her new corgi puppy after it.
The photograph – taken by their daughterin-law the Countess of Wessex in 2003 during one of their family summer holidays – was specially chosen by Her Majesty to share ahead of today’s funeral. The couple look blissfully happy and relaxed as they sit back in the heather, the Queen in her off duty Scottish dress of a woollen twinset, pearls and a tartan skirt, with Philip in country casuals and a sun hat resting on his knee.
The duke’s coffin, draped in his personal standard and bearing his naval cap, sword and a wreath of flowers, will first be seen at 2.41pm today when it emerges from the State Entrance to Windsor Castle carried by a bearer party from The Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
It will then be placed on the Land Rover hearse that Philip personally designed for the occasion for the eight-minute journey to the chapel, followed by a procession of nine family members. The service will begin with a minute’s national silence, as Philip’s coffin rests on the West Steps of the chapel to remember the man the monarch described as her ‘ strength and stay’. In other developments: n No planes will land or take off at nearby Heathrow for six minutes to coincide with the minute’s silence; n Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will praise Philip’s ‘life of service to the nation and Commonwealth’ at the service; n The Order of Service, released by the Palace last night, reflects Philip’s naval roots, including the seafarers’ hymn Eternal Father, Strong To Save; n The Earl and Countess of Wessex, accompanied by their daughter Lady Louise, appeared touched by tributes left in memory of the duke when they viewed cards and flowers at Windsor Castle.
The Queen was seen yesterday walking her puppies Muick and Fergus, a dorgi, in the gardens at Frogmore, where her grandson Prince Harry has been quarantining after flying in from the US, leading to speculation she may have greeted him from a distance. She is said to have been ‘stoical’ about her husband’s death, and has insisted on being personally involved in the funeral preparations.
She even found time yesterday to undertake calls with the governor general of Australia, David Hurley, and Canadian prime
minister Justin Trudeau, both of whom expressed their condolences.
Today’s funeral service will be for just 30 mourners – the maximum under Covid restrictions. Boris Johnson, who gave up his place – left a wreath for the duke outside St George’s Chapel yesterday saying the nation owes ‘more than words can say’.
All those at the socially distanced service will wear masks for the proceedings – including the Queen. The congregation will not be able to sing and the hymns will be performed by a small choir of four.
The Queen will follow her husband’s coffin on his Land Rover hearse down from the castle to the chapel in her State Bentley.
The Dean of Windsor, the Right Reverend David Conner, who will lead the service, will say of the duke: ‘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.’
The Archbishop of Canterbury, who will pronounce the Blessing today, said it was important for people to understand the Queen was facing the day with ‘extraordinary dignity and courage’, while saying goodbye to the most important person in her life.
He added that he hoped the nation prayed for her and ‘hope for her to find strength in what must be an anguished moment’.
SO the Royal Family will not wear full military regalia and the solemn ceremony will be scaled back to comply with stringent Covid regulations.
But the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral will still exude pomp and pageantry, befitting a war hero who was the Queen’s ‘strength and stay’ during 73 years of marriage.
Prince Philip’s final journey at Windsor Castle will be watched by countless millions around the world.
With immense sorrow we bid this remarkable man farewell. Yet our sense of loss will be tinged with national pride – and appreciation for his extraordinary life.
For the duke embodied the virtues of duty, patriotism and public service. He helped steer the monarchy into the modern age – and through some of its most tumultuous times.
He also enriched many lives. To that, the incredible outpouring of affection on his passing stands as unshakable testimony.
Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate, gets to the heart of his quality in a moving elegy. Philip, he writes, was ‘both inner core and outer case’ – a father figure to Britain and the Commonwealth.
While as a royal the duke’s death is inescapably public, we must not lose sight of the fact it is a private bereavement.
Amid the funeral’s grandeur, a grieving 94-year- old woman is saying goodbye to her beloved husband.
It would not be difficult to overlook the Queen’s anguish. To deceive oneself into believing the sovereign impregnable to the wounding arrows of common emotion.
But she was also a wife. Philip was her adviser, supporter and the one who made her laugh. One can only try to imagine the depth of her loneliness.
Bolstered by her unbending faith, though, she will bear her grief with brave dignity.
It is a tribute to her sense of responsibility that in the toughest week of her reign, she has honoured commitments undimmed.
Of course, the Queen will not be the only point of focus. The world’s eyes will also be on William and Harry.
The image of the bewildered brothers trudging disconsolately behind their mother’s coffin is seared into the nation’s psyche. Yet in their grandfather’s cortege they will walk apart – separated by an older cousin and apparent ill-will.
Their once unbreakable bond was shattered by a US TV interview in which Harry and his wife accused the royals of racism.
At the funeral, every glance and gesture will be scrutinised for symbolism and meaning. By keeping the pair apart the Queen, typically pragmatic, has sought to solve this awkward problem.
Similarly, she elegantly swerved a military uniforms row by decreeing that male mourners wear morning suits – sparing Harry embarrassment.
Nothing should upstage commemoration of the duke’s life. Still, it would have been wonderful if his loss had prompted the princes to bury the hatchet.
Perhaps the emotion of the day will jolt them to their senses. Despite losing their mother, they have a dutiful and doting father who may well lead them to a gratifying rapprochement.
Of course, this isn’t the first fallout between royal brothers. George VI and Edward VIII barely spoke after the abdication. It’s inconceivable it will be the last.
And the monarchy’s history has been marked by the deaths of great figures. Yet the 1,000-year-old institution abides.
Those left dry their tears, dust themselves down and do their duty. The Queen continues to carry the torch. The younger royals must emulate her.
Tennyson’s famous ode to the Duke of Wellington begins: ‘Bury the Great Duke, with an empire’s lamentation.’ It might have been written for Philip’s death.
The Royal Family is a sturdy oak. Branches fall, but the trunk endures.