It is a bleak day for the British royal family, Britons and supporters around the world, with Prince Philip set to rest at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle in just a few hours.
The Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of 73-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, died on April 9. He was 99 years old.
The royal ceremonial funeral is expected to be a discreet reference to Philip, the longest-lived royal consort in British history. The ceremony, codenamed Operation Forth Bridge, was limited to 30 participants, but the service is one in which the Duke of Edinburgh was heavily involved in planning before his move.
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 the wife of Charles Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Anna’s husband Timothy Laurence and wife of Edward Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
QUEEN ELIZABETH MAKES SOME “DIFFICULT DECISIONS” ABOUT PRINCIPAL’S FUNERAL PLANS
A tribute to the British Prince Philip is projected on a big screen at Piccadilly Circus in central London on April 9.
(Photo by AP / Matt Dunham)
In addition, each of Philip’s eight grandchildren – including 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 join their royal spouses at the family event.
Quick facts
- The royal ceremonial funeral was limited to 30 guests due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic
- Members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force and British Army plan to attend funeral procession
- Philip’s coffin will be transported 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, has been advised by her doctor not to attend the event.
All participants in the funeral will be required to wear face coverings while in St. George’s Chapel, while those attending the funeral procession will not wear masks until they enter the chapel.
Members of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force and the British Army intend to attend the funeral procession. Philip’s coffin will be transported 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 present. 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 in Santa Barbara, California last year, a few months after the couple announced their decision to take a step back as senior members of the royal family.
Harry will not be going with his brother, Prince William, 38, to the funeral. However, the two will join the family members, going behind the grandfather’s coffin, together with their cousin Peter Philips, who was walking between the brothers.
PRINCE PHILIP, THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AND THE SISTER OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II, DEAD AT 99
Philip married Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and is the longest-lived royal consort in British history. (Associated Press)
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