LONDON – Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, will not walk side by side in the ceremonial procession behind their coffin, Prince Philip’s coffin before his funeral on Saturday at Windsor Castle, according to new details released by Buckingham Palace on Thursday. announced.
Their cousin Peter Phillips will walk among the brothers as they take the coffin to the St. Guided George Chapel. Alexander de Montfort, the senior secretary of Lord Chamberlain’s Office, told a news conference.
It will be their first public appearance since Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, gave an interview to US media mogul Oprah Winfrey last month, when the couple made several revelations and allegations about their treatment by the royal family. .
But de Montfort declined to comment when asked if the positioning of William and Harry is an attempt to limit family tensions.
However, he said military “uniforms will not be worn” during the funeral.
Protocol indicates that Harry, who has undertaken two tours in Afghanistan, can only wear a suit with medals during royal functions. He lost his honorary military titles after deciding to retire as a senior working royal.
British media reports have also suggested that Prince Andrew, who retired from the royal service in 2019 over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is considering wearing an admiral uniform. Buckingham Palace did not respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
De Montfort said William and Harry would join Andrew in the ceremonial procession; hul pa, Prince Charles; and Philip’s other children, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, among a handful of other royals and officials.
The statue of the brothers is likely to evoke memories of 1997 when they walked gloomily behind the coffin of their mother, Princess Diana, next to their grandfather, who died Friday at 99 in Windsor Castle.
Philip’s coffin will be carried on top of a specially adapted Land Rover, which he designed, de Montfort said, adding that Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family will follow in cars.
The funeral service will then be held in the St. George’s Chapel held, which was last seen on world screens when Harry and Meghan got married there in 2018.
Meghan, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, will not attend the funeral and stayed in California on the advice of her doctor, Buckingham Palace said at the weekend.
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The final order of service and seating plan will be published on Saturday, the Lord Chamberlain office said, adding that the funeral complies with the Covid-19 restrictions and will be limited to 30 guests.
As a result, de Montfort said there would be a diminished choir and no congregational singing. Participants will also wear masks as they enter the chapel for the religious service.
The service, which is expected to last 50 minutes, will include a blessing by the Archbishop of Canterbury and is led by the Dean of Windsor. A rendition of the national anthem will be accompanied by the sound of ‘Action Stations’, a bugle call, at the special request of the Duke of Edinburgh, a former navy.
Philip’s coffin is then buried in the royal vault in the St. George Chapel.
The British public is asked to stay away from the gathering outside royal residences due to concerns about the coronavirus, but a national minute of silence will mean the start of the service at 15:00 local time (10:00 ET) and end with symbolic artillery fire.
However, crowds flocked to royal residences, including Buckingham Palace in central London and Windsor Castle, about 25 miles away, to pay tribute and make handwritten notes following Philip’s death last weekend.
