It’s a gloomy day for the British royal family, Britons and supporters around the world, as Prince Philip arrives at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle will be laid to rest.
The Duke of Edinburgh, her husband of 73-year-old Queen Elizabeth II, died on 9 April. He was 99.
The ceremonial royal funeral is expected to be a turning point for Philip, the longest-serving royal mill in British history. The ceremony, codenamed Operation Forth Bridge, was limited to 30 participants, but the service was one that the Duke of Edinburgh took part in planning before his death.
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’ wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Anne’s husband Timothy Laurence and Edward’s wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
QUEEN ELIZABETH DECIDES A DIFFICULT DECISION “RELATED TO PRINCE PHILIP’S FUNERAL PLANS
A tribute to British Prince Philip is projected on a big screen on April 9 in Piccadilly Circus in central London.
(AP Photo / Matt Dunham)
Furthermore, each of Philip’s eight grandchildren, including Peter Phillips, Zara Tindall, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise and James, Count Severn, will also attend the funeral.
Prince William’s wife, Kate Middleton; Zara Tindall is 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.
Quick facts
- The ceremonial royal funeral was limited to 30 guests due to the ongoing pandemic in the coronavirus
- 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 transported to St. Louis on a specially adapted Land Rover. George Chapel is worn, which he designed himself
- Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, who is currently pregnant, advised her doctor not to attend the event.
All mourners are expected to wear face masks while in the St. George Chapel is, while those participating in the funeral procession will not wear masks until they have 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 transported to St. Louis on a specially adapted Land Rover. George Chapel is worn, which he designed himself.
It was revealed earlier that Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, 39, will not be there. 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, months after the couple announced their decision to retire as senior members of the royal family.
Harry will not be walking with his brother, Prince William, 38, during the funeral. However, the two will walk with family members behind their grandfather’s coffin with their cousin Peter Philips walking in between the brothers.
PRINCE OF PRINCE PHILIP, DUKE OF EDINBURGH AND QUEEN ELIZABETH II
Philip married the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and is the longest-serving royal companion in British history. (Associated Press)
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