It’s a somber day for the British royal family, Britons and supporters around the world as Prince Philip will be laid to rest at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle in just a few hours.
The Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband of 73 years, died on April 9. He was 99.
The ceremonial royal funeral is expected to be a low-key send-off to Philip, the longest-serving royal consort in British history. The ceremony, code-named Operation Forth Bridge, was limited to 30 attendees, but the service is one that the Duke of Edinburgh had much participation in planning prior to his passing.
The Queen will be joined by the four children she shared with Prince Philip — Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward — as well as Charles’s wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Anne’s husband Timothy Laurence and Edward’s wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
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A tribute to Britain’s Prince Philip is projected onto a large screen at Piccadilly Circus in central London on April 9.
(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Additionally, each of Philip’s eight grandchildren — who include Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn — will also attend the funeral.
Prince William’s wife, Kate Middleton; Zara Tindall’s husband, Mike Tindall; Princess Eugenie’s husband, Jack Brooksbank, and Princess Beatrice’s husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, will also join their royal spouses at the family event.
Fast Facts
- The ceremonial royal funeral was limited to 30 guests due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic
- Members of the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Royal Air Force and the British Army plan to take part in the funeral procession
- Philip’s coffin will be carried to St. George’s Chapel on a specially adapted Land Rover, which he designed himself
- Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, who is currently pregnant, was advised by her doctor to not attend the event
All funeral attendees will be required to wear face coverings while inside St. George’s Chapel while those who are participating in the funeral procession will not be donning masks until they’ve entered the chapel.
Members of the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Royal Air Force and the British Army plan to take part in the funeral procession. Philip’s coffin will be carried to St. George’s Chapel on a specially adapted Land Rover, which he designed himself.
It was previously revealed that Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, 39, will not be in attendance. The Duchess of Sussex, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, was advised by her doctor not to attend. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex settled down in Santa Barbara, California, last year, months after the couple announced their decision to step back as senior members of the royal family.
Harry will not walk alongside his brother Prince William, 38, at the funeral. However, the two will join family members in walking behind their grandfather’s casket with their cousin Peter Philips walking in between the brothers.
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Philip married then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and is the longest-serving royal consort in British history. (Associated Press)
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