Only members of the royal family and his personal secretary will attend the funeral service for the deceased spouse of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. This was announced on Wednesday, April 14, at Buckingham Palace.
Before the service, the coffin will be transported through the grounds of Windsor Castle in a Land Rover, which was personally designed by the Duke of Edinburgh. The coffin will be followed by the sons of the prince and the queen, grandchildren, princes William and Harry, and other members of the royal family and employees of the court of Prince Philip, as well as representatives of several branches of the military.
The procession starts on April 17 at 14:45 (16:45 Moscow time) at the main gate of the castle, it will end eight minutes later at the chapel of St. George. Later, the memory of Prince Philip will be honored with a minute of silence.
Then the coffin will be delivered to the church for worship. In accordance with coronavirus restrictions, there will be 30 people in attendance, including family members and a personal secretary. It is specified that outsiders will not be allowed to enter the castle on the day of the ceremonies.
The duke will be buried in the royal tomb of the chapel, and after the death of his widow, the remains will be transferred to the resting place of the queen’s parents.
Prince Philip passed away on April 9 at the age of 99. In two months he was supposed to be 100 years old. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have been married for over 70 years and have four children.
On April 11, the son of the royal couple, the Duke of York Andrew, announced that the death of Prince Philip “left a void” in the life of Elizabeth II. According to The Sun, shortly before his death, Prince Philip asked his eldest son, Prince Charles, to take care of his mother and lead the royal family.
The funeral of Prince Philip will be held on April 17.