LONDON (AP) – British soldiers, sailors and air force personnel trained, polished and made final preparations on Friday for Prince Philip’s funeral, a military service but personal service that will mark the death of a royal patriarch, who is also one of the languishing World War II veterans.
More than 700 military personnel will take part in the funeral service at Windsor Castle on Saturday, including army groups, Royal Marine buglers and a guard of honor from across the army.
But coronavirus restrictions mean that in place of the 800 mourners who were included in the funeral plans before Philip’s death last week, there are only 30 within the St. George Chapel will be, including the widowed Queen Elizabeth II and her four children.
Philip, who died on April 9 at the age of 99, was closely involved in planning his funeral, an event that will reflect his service to the Royal Navy and his lifelong military ties – and his love for the rugged Land Rover . Philip drove several versions of the four-wheel-drive vehicle for decades until he was forced to relinquish his license at 97 after an accident. His body will be carried to the chapel on a custom Land Rover Defender he designed himself, painted military green and with an open back to carry a coffin.
Philip and the Queen’s children – Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – will walk behind the hearse. It will also do grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry, though not side by side. The brothers, whose relationship was difficult amid Harry’s decision to leave his royal service and move to California, will flank their cousin Peter Phillips, the son of Princess Anne.
The moment will probably evoke memories of the statue of William and Harry at 15 and 12 years old, behind the coffin of their mother, Princess Diana, accompanied by their grandfather Philip.
Army orchestras will play songs and classical music before the funeral service, which will also be preceded by a nationwide minute of silence.
Inside the gothic chapel, the age of royal weddings and funerals, the service will include Royal Marine buglers sounding ‘Action Stations’, an alarm warning sailors to prepare for battle. This was a personal request from Philip, who spent nearly 14 years in the Royal Navy and served in the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific during World War II.
Gen. Nick Carter, the head of the British Army, said the ceremony “will reflect military precision and, above all, I think it will be a celebration of a lived life.”
“It will also, in my opinion, show how much the army loved and respected him,” Carter told the BBC. ‘The army has always had great respect for people who have their values and standards and who have indeed shown great courage, and I think that, if we look back at his war record, the sense of courage and what he has done is something of everything . we have great admiration for. ”
Along with Philip’s children and grandchildren, the 30 funeral guests include other senior royals and several of his German relatives. Philip was born a prince of Greece and Denmark and, like the queen, is related to a thicket of European royal families.
Mourners were instructed to wear masks and see social distance in the chapel, and not to participate when a quadruple choir sang hymns. The queen, who has spent much of the past year with her husband at Windsor Castle, will be sitting alone.
People continued to lay flowers outside the castle, 32 kilometers west of London, like all week, despite official requests to stay away due to the coronavirus.
Many said they were motivated by sympathy with the queen, who lost her 73-year-old husband.
“We’re mainly here for the Queen,” said Barbara Lee, who came with her children and grandchildren. “You know, we feel so sorry for her, just like for our own grandmothers, mothers. It’s been a long time to be with someone, a whole life, and she must be absolutely crushed. And so should they all, for at the end of the day they are a normal family. ‘
In a break with the custom, members of the royal family who have served in the military or have a ceremonial appointment will wear civilian clothes to the funeral.
The decision, signed by the Queen, means that Harry will not run the risk of being the only member of the royal family who is not in uniform. Harry lost his military honorary titles after giving up royal duties at the front last year. As a result, protocol suggested that Harry, a veteran of the army who had served two duties in Afghanistan, would only wear a suit with medals during royal functions.
The decision also bypassed another possible controversy after reports that Prince Andrew, the queen’s second eldest son, had considered wearing an admiral’s uniform during his father’s funeral. Andrew retains his military titles, although he has been deprived of royal duties due to the scandal surrounding his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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Jo Kearney in Windsor contributed to this story.
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For AP’s full coverage of Prince Philip’s death, go to https://apnews.com/hub/prince-philip