- Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, designed his own hearse for 16 years: a custom Land Rover.
- Queen Elizabeth II’s deceased husband refurbished the vehicle with an open rear end and green paint.
- The hearse will take Philip’s coffin in a march across the grounds of Windsor Castle on Saturday.
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On Saturday 17 April, the funeral of the late Duke of Edinburgh will take place, and many aspects of the event will be distinguished from the traditional funerals.
One such detail is the hearse. Prince Philip, who died on April 9 at the age of 99, designed and adapted a Land Rover Defender TD5 130 chassis cabin vehicle for 16 years to be his hearse.
For those close to the royal family, this is no surprise. According to the Associated Press (AP), Prince Philip loved Land Rovers and they managed most of his life.
The hearse will take its coffin in a procession that begins at the state entrance of Windsor Castle and through the site to St. George’s Chapel, where the service will take place.
The hearse has a military green color and an open back
The hearse is made with special ‘stops’ that can secure a coffin.
Steve Parsons / Pool / Reuters
According to Sky News, the Land Rover was built in 2003 at a factory in Solihull, England.
At the age of 82, Philip started modifying the vehicle in partnership with the Land Rover company. He has it painted a green color, called dark bronze green. The green color has a significant color and is a nod to the prince’s military service. Philip served as an officer in Britain’s Royal Navy during World War II.
According to Sky News, the Land Rover also has an open rear with special ‘stops’ designed to secure the coffin.
The final details of the amendment were completed according to the AP in 2019 when Philip was 98.
Jaguar Land Rover CEO Thierry Bollore told Sky News that the company was “deeply privileged to enjoy a very long and happy relationship with the Duke of Edinburgh over many decades.”
Philip’s funeral service will look drastically different from other royal funerals
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and UK restrictions on public gatherings, Philip’s funeral will be a much smaller event. Only 30 guests will be present, including the Queen and the Royal Family.
While Philip could be considered for a state funeral as a partner for the Queen, he once said he did not want the ‘uproar’, according to a report by The Independent in 2017. And although he did not have a did not want a state funeral, Sky News reported that Philip’s initial plans included a large attendance with 800 guests.
In addition, the public was asked not to attend funeral services due to the coronavirus, and the marches will not be public.
However, the funeral will be televised, and millions of people in the UK and around the world will join in to watch the historic event. Here’s how you can look in the US and UK.