Royals say farewell to Prince Philip
On 17 April, the royal family gathered for the funeral of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Philip, who died on 9 April aged 99, was the Queen’s husband. He was the longest-serving royal consort in British history. A consort is the spouse of a king or queen.
The funeral was held in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Covid-19 restrictions meant that only 30 people were allowed to go. Guests included the Queen and Prince Philip’s four children and eight grandchildren but none of their 10 great-grandchildren. A funeral procession followed Prince Philip’s coffin as it was carried to the chapel on a special Land Rover that he’d helped to design. The procession included members of the military, as well as Prince Philip’s family.
Prince Philip’s coffin was draped in his own personal flag. Each of the flag’s four sections represents a different part of his life, including his Danish and Greek heritage. Prince Philip was born on 10 June 1921 in Corfu, Greece, as a member of both the Danish and Greek royal families. He became a British citizen in 1947, the same year he married Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth II.
There was a national minute’s silence to mark the start of the funeral at 3pm. Gun salutes marked the start and end of the silence at nine locations across the UK and Gibraltar. Several sporting events were moved so they didn’t take place at the same time as the minute’s silence, and no planes took off from nearby Heathrow Airport. Once inside the chapel, everyone had to wear face masks and stay socially distanced. The Queen sat alone and no singing was allowed, except for a small choir.
During the funeral, the minister taking the service spoke about Prince Philip. He said, “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.”