Britons bid farewell to royal consort

LONDON — The funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh was held in Windsor in line with the British government’s coronavirus restrictions on Saturday.

Britain fell silent for a minute of reflection ahead of Prince Philip’s funeral, which began at 3pm local time at St. George’s Chapel, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, about 35 kilometers from central London.

More than 730 members of the armed forces took part in the event, but given the current pandemic restrictions, only 30 mourners were allowed to attend the funeral inside St. George’s Chapel, including Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family.

The 30 guests at the funeral wore morning coats with medals, or day dress, but not military uniform.

The event was a “ceremonial royal funeral”, rather than a state funeral, which “very much reflects the duke’s wishes”, Buckingham Palace said.

Members of the public were barred from attending the event because of the pandemic.

The entire royal procession and funeral took place out of public view within the grounds of the castle, a 950-year-old royal residence, but was shown live on television.

Paying respects

Hundreds of people lined the streets outside the castle to pay their respects to the prince. Some held Union flags and clutched flowers, while others wore custom face masks featuring the duke’s photo.

“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 dean of Windsor, David Conner, said in his call to prayer.

The minute’s silence was observed across the country, its beginning and end marked by a gun fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The final shot signaled the start of a funeral service steeped in military and royal tradition, but infused with the duke’s personality.

Before the funeral Buckingham Palace issued a photo of the queen and Philip, smiling and relaxing on blankets in the grass in the Scottish Highlands in 2003. The palace said the casual, unposed photo was one of the queen’s favorites.

Prince Philip died aged 99 on April 9. He was born on the Greek island of Corfu on June 10, 1921. Prince Philip married Princess Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became queen, and was the longest-serving royal consort in British history. The couple had four children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

The queen turns 95 on Wednesday.

YUI MOK / POOL VIA REUTERS Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday during the funeral of Prince Philip.