The funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was held on Saturday at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, England.
He died in his sleep on April 9, aged 99. He was married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years.
According to a statement from the British Royal family, the funeral “was a ceremonial royal funeral”, the same as that of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. It was not a “state funeral”, a ceremony that is generally reserved for the country’s monarchs.
The ceremony was broadcast live on BBC channels and streamed on the Royal family’s YouTube channel. It began with a procession and a band playing throughout as the late duke’s coffin emerged from the state entrance of the Windsor Castle and made its way into the quadrangle of the church. It was followed by the members of the Royal family, who walked in the procession while the Queen followed “from the sovereign’s entrance in the state Bentley”.
Members who were part of the procession included Princess Anne, Prince Charles, Prince Edward, Prince Andrew, Prince Harry, Peter Phillips, Prince William, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, The Earl of Snowdon, Philip’s personal protection officer, Philip’s private secretary, two pages and two valets.
As per the running order, the procession moved towards St George’s Chapel, through Engine Court, Chapel Hill Parade Ground and into Horseshoe Cloister, arriving at the west steps.
The procession route was lined by representatives from the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Highlanders, and fourth Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland and the Royal Air Force.
Prince Philip, of House Mountbatten, served in the Royal Navy, the British Army and the Royal Air Force during World War II. He married Queen Elizabeth in 1947 and is father to Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward.
This afternoon, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Funeral took place at Windsor Castle.
It was a family occasion which recognised His Royal Highness’s military associations and included some unique personal touches, in line with The Duke’s wishes: https://t.co/utgjrb8rmD pic.twitter.com/bYWCMsEgk3
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 17, 2021
Commemorating his service, minute guns were fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from the East Lawn of Windsor Castle for the duration of the procession. The British national anthem played as the coffin arrived at Horseshoe Cloister, where it was met by representatives from the Commonwealth and a Dismounted Detachment of the Household Cavalry.
The funeral was conducted by the Dean of Windsor while the coffin was received by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
With Covid guidelines in place, the congregation wore masks during the funeral service that was attended by 30 members of the Royal family all of whom were seated six feet apart. The attendees included Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the Countess of Wessex and Forfar, Viscount Severn, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, Duchess of Cambridge, Mr and Mrs Mike Tindall, Princess Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank, Lady Sarah and Daniel Chatto, Duke of Gloucester, Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra, Lady Ogilvy, Hereditary Prince of Baden, Landgrave of Hesse, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and Countess Mountbatten of Burma.
After the service was concluded, Prince Philip’s coffin was lowered into the royal vault.
