Britain's longest serving royal consort will be granted the "no fuss" service he wished for. Who will be among the 30 people attending the funeral?
Despite being asked not to, Britons have placed tributes at the royal palaces, though they have abided by COVID rulesImage: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images
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Funeral arrangements — code-named Operation Forth Bridge, after the Scottish landmark and UNESCO World Heritage Site — are under way for Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, who died last Friday, just two months shy of his 100th birthday.
The following plans for the funeral service have been announced so far:
Where will the funeral take place?
The televised royal funeral will be held at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, and take place at 16:00 UTC on Saturday, April 17, at which time a nationwide minute of silence will be observed.
In line with his wishes for a "no fuss" funeral, the Duke of Edinburgh will not lie in state. This also adheres to COVID pandemic restrictions on mass gatherings and will prevent members of the public from congregating at public spaces to pay their last respects. Instead, he will lie in rest in the private chapel at Windsor Castle until the day of the funeral.
Only 30 mourners will be allowed to attend the funeral service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle Image: Owen Humphreys/ZUMA Wire/imago images
What will happen on the day?
The duke, like the queen mother and Diana Princess of Wales, will have a ceremonial funeral. State funerals are reserved for royals — with the only exception having been made for wartime prime minister, Winston Churchill.
On the day of the funeral, the coffin will be moved from the private chapel to the state entrance of Windsor Castle. It will be placed on a modified Land Rover the duke himself helped design, to be carried the short distance to St George's Chapel. Some members of the royal family — including Princes Charles, William and Harry — will walk behind the coffin.
Prince Philip, the longest serving royal consort in British history, will be laid to rest on SaturdayImage: Ralph Heimans/Buckingham Palace/AP/picture alliance
Who will attend the funeral?
England's COVID restrictions stipulate that only 30 people, all masked and socially distanced, are allowed to attend funerals. This excludes the pallbearers and clergy.
Prince Harry is among the family members who will attend the service. His pregnant wife Meghan, however, has been given doctor's orders not to travel. Harry, who carries the title Duke of Sussex, now lives in the US with his wife and has not returned to the UK since stepping down as a senior royal last year. In another departure from the norm, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he will not attend the funeral in order to make room for royal family members.
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What happens next?
The current period of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast at all UK government buildings, will end on the day of the funeral. The royal family will observe two weeks of mourning but members will continue to attend engagements and wear black mourning bands where appropriate.
Gun salutes took place across the UK and in Gibraltar at midday last Saturday. Royal Navy ships at sea also fired salutes in tribute to the duke, who served as a naval officer during World War Two.
A 41-gun salute was staged in London on Saturday to mark the death of Prince PhilipImage: Dominic Lipinski/PA/AP/picture alliance
How long will political campaigning be suspended?
Local elections are scheduled for May 6, but Conservative and Labour MPs have been instructed to refrain from election-related media appearances until after the funeral. The prime minister's press conferences and announcements will also be strictly limited to COVID matters during that time. Parliament convenes on Monday to pay tribute to the duke, after which some local campaigning will resume from Tuesday onwards.
Despite being asked not to, Britons have placed tributes at the royal palaces, though they have abided by COVID rulesImage: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images
How can the public pay their respects?
Original plans for the days leading up to the funeral and the ceremony itself have had to be dramatically scaled back due to COVID restrictions. Members of the public have been asked not to gather at royal residences, nor to leave floral tributes — but rather have been asked to make donations to charities close to the duke's heart. Nevertheless, people have continued to place flowers, cards and tributes outside Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. The public can also post their personal tributes on an online condolence book.
Looking back on the life of Prince Philip
Prince Philip — or the Duke of Edinburgh, as he was officially known — retired from his royal duties in August 2017. DW looks back at the prince's life and more than 70 years of marriage to Queen Elizabeth.
Image: Sven Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images
Itinerant childhood
Prince Philip's early years were marked by tragedy. When he was still young his mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and placed in an asylum. Philip would rarely see her until adulthood. He was sent to boarding schools in France and Germany, but the rise of the Nazis forced him to continue his education in Scotland. Here, Philip (second from left) is seen at a French school in about 1929.
Philip held royal titles since his birth on June 10, 1921, in Corfu. As the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg, he was born the prince of Greece and Denmark — titles he would relinquish upon marrying Princess Elizabeth in 1947. After fleeing unrest in Greece at just 18 months, Philip went on to become a naturalized British citizen.
Image: picture-allianc/dpa/London Express
Consort to Queen Elizabeth II
As the queen's husband of more than 70 years, Prince Philip was the longest-serving British consort, or companion to the sovereign. The couple married on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey, at which point Philip was given the title of Duke of Edinburgh. Just over four years later, Elizabeth ascended to the throne after the death of her father, King George VI, in February 1952.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Str
Family man
Philip and Elizabeth had two children, Charles and Anne (pictured in 1953 at Clarence House), before Elizabeth became queen. Two more sons followed in 1960 and 1964, Andrew and Edward. As their first-born son, Prince Charles is next in line for the throne.
Princess Charlotte, pictured here in June 2017 with her mother the Duchess of Cambridge (center), is one of Prince Philip's nine great-grandchildren. He had eight grandchildren, including Charlotte's father, Prince William (right).
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/K. Wigglesworth
Diverse patronages
Upon his retirement in August 2017, Prince Philip had served as patron or president to some 800 organizations. These reflected his interests in conservation, sport, the military and engineering — and the Cartoon Art Trust, seen here in 2002. He also established The Duke of Edinburgh Award in 1956, which aims to instill confidence and new skills in young people.
Image: CHRIS HARRIS/AP/picture alliance
Royally outspoken
As someone who took part in many official ceremonies and photo ops, Prince Philip developed a reputation for being gaffe-prone at best, and insulting at worst. Upon meeting a group of Australian Aborigines in 2002, the prince asked if they were "still throwing spears at each other?" And in 1997, he called then German Chancellor Helmut Kohl "Reichskanzler" — the title used by Adolf Hitler.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/epa/Hanson
Long-lasting love
Philip's marriage to Queen Elizabeth lasted more than seven decades and despite the inevitable rumors was, to all appearances, remarkably free of scandal. Royal historian Robert Lacey said they were not "a soppy couple," though they shared a passion for horses. Philip, however, was rumored to be less keen on his wife's cherished corgis.
