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The Funeral of Prince Philip: Queens sits alone in chapel at Philip's funeral

Britain Prince Philip Funeral
Posted at 9:38 AM, Apr 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-17 10:43:56-04

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WINDSOR, England — Queen Elizabeth II is sitting alone in the quire of St. George’s Chapel during the funeral of Prince Philip, the man who had been by her side for 73 years.

Following strict social distancing rules during the pandemic, the queen set an example even in grief, sitting apart from family members arrayed around the church. Just 30 mourners are allowed to attend the service at St. George’s on the grounds of Windsor Castle, where the queen has shielded from COVID-19.

Other royals who are in family bubbles are sitting together.

The service began with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby entering the chapel ahead of the coffin, followed by Philip’s children and three of his eight grandchildren, as a four-member choir sang “I am the resurrection and the life.”
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Prince Harry’s wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will be watching Prince Philip’s funeral from the couple’s home in California because she is pregnant with their second child and not cleared for travel by her doctor, their spokesperson confirmed.

Meghan also handwrote a card accompanying the couple’s wreath for Philip. The wreath features flowers including Bear’s breeches, the national flower of Greece to represent Philip’s heritage, and Sea Holly, to represent the Royal Marines.

The wreath also features campanula for gratitude and everlasting love, rosemary to signify remembrance, lavender for devotion, and roses in honor of June, Philip’s birth month.

While none of the senior royals wore military uniforms for the funeral, Harry’s spokesperson says he is wearing a number of honorary medals including an Afghanistan Campaign medal and one signifying the Royal Victorian Order.

Harry’s spokesperson pointed to the royal’s shared military connection with his grandfather. Both men shared active service as part of the British armed forces. Harry served a decade in the army, including two tours of duty on the frontlines of Afghanistan. Philip was a decorated naval officer whose military career spanned World War II.
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Princes William and Harry didn’t line up shoulder to shoulder Saturday as they took their places for the procession that will follow Prince Philip’s coffin to the church for his funeral.

William and Harry’s cousin Peter Phillips stood between the princes as they prepared to escort the coffin to St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

The arrangement minimized the chances of any awkward moments between the brothers, who have faced strains in their relationship since Harry’s decision to step away from royal duties last year.

William, 38, is second in line to the throne. Harry, 36, and his wife, Meghan, last month gave an interview to U.S. television host Oprah Winfrey in which they said royal staffers were insensitive toward Meghan and that an unidentified member of the royal family made racist comments.

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Queen Elizabeth II has left the Sovereign’s Entrance of Windsor Castle as members of the royal family prepare for the procession that will precede the funeral of Prince Philip.

The queen, accompanied by a lady-in waiting, wore a mask as she was driven in a Bentley that will carry her to St. George’s Chapel for the funeral of her husband of 73 years.

Elizabeth has always sought to set an example for the nation during her long reign, and face coverings are required in England under rules designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. The rules also mean that only 30 family members and close friends will be allowed to attend the funeral.
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All of the family members taking part in the funeral procession for Prince Philip are wearing civilian clothes, not military uniforms, in accordance with the wishes of Queen Elizabeth II.

Ten members of the royal family, led by Prince Charles and his sister, Princess Anne, are walking behind the specially designed Land Rover carrying the coffin on the eight-minute journey from the State Entrance of Windsor Castle to St. George’s Chapel.

The decision to wear civilian clothes came amid concerns that Prince Harry might have been the only member of the family not in uniform during the funeral of his grandfather, who died last week at the age of 99.

Members of the royal family often wear uniforms to public events by virtue of their honorary roles with the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, but Harry lost his military titles when he decided to give up frontline royal duties last year.

The decision also sidestepped another potential controversy after reports that Prince Andrew considered wearing an admiral’s uniform to his father’s funeral. Andrew retains his military titles even though he fell from grace after a disastrous BBC interview about his acquaintance with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

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Hundreds of troops are marching into the grounds of Windsor Castle for the funeral of Prince Philip.

More than 700 servicemen and servicewomen from the army, navy, air force and marines are to perform ceremonial roles in the funeral procession, reflecting Philip’s Royal Navy service and ties with the military.

They include soldiers of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, who will fire a gun salute, Guards regiments in scarlet tunics and bearskin hats, Highlanders in kilts and sailors in white naval hats.

Regiments and units with links to Philip will line the route as his coffin is carried to St. George’s Chapel for the funeral service, while military bands will play hymns and classical tunes.

Britain Prince Philip
A picture of Britain's Prince Philip with Queen Elizabeth ahead of his funeral in Windsor, England Saturday April 17, 2021. Philip died April 9 at the age of 99 after 73 years of marriage to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. Coronavirus restrictions mean there will be only 30 mourners for the service, including the widowed queen, her four children and her eight grandchildren. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Prince Philip’s coffin has been moved from the royal family’s private chapel at Windsor Castle to the castle’s Inner Hall ahead of his funeral this afternoon.

Royal officials say the coffin is draped in Philip’s personal standard, and topped with his Royal Navy cap and sword and a wreath of flowers.

It was moved by a party of bearers from the Grenadier Guards army regiment and will lie in the hall until the funeral procession begins just before 3 p.m.

The coffin will be transported on a specially designed Land Rover to St. George’s Chapel, where Philip will be laid to rest in the Royal Vault.

Because of coronavirus restrictions only 30 mourners will attend the funeral service, including Queen Elizabeth II, her four children and her eight grandchildren.
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Britain’s royal family has released a montage of images in memory of Prince Philip, set to a poem by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage.

“Patriarchs -- An Elegy” remembers Philip as a member of a generation who “fought ingenious wars, finagled triumphs at sea with flaming decoy boats, and side-stepped torpedoes” -- references to his wartime naval service.

Armitage, whose job is to write poems for significant national occasions, salutes those “husbands to duty … Great-grandfathers from birth, in time they became both inner core and outer case in a family heirloom of nesting dolls.”

The royal family released a recording of Armitage reading the poem, accompanied by pictures of Prince Philip through the decades, form infancy to old age, ahead of his funeral at Windsor Castle on Saturday.

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TATOI, Greece — Prince Philip’s life spanned a century of European history. His family ties were just as broad, with Britain’s longest-serving consort linked by blood and marriage to most of the continent’s royal houses.

“If Queen Victoria is considered the grandmother of Europe, Prince Philip is the uncle of Europe,” said Vassilis Koutsavlis, president of the Tatoi Royal Estate Friends Association.

It’s in that densely wooded estate at the foot of a mountain north of Athens that Philip’s father, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, lies buried. The Tatoi estate housed the royal summer residence and the royal cemetery, dotted with the tombs of Philip’s relatives: kings and queens of Greece, princes and princesses of Denmark, grand duchesses of Russia and even a distant relative of Napoleon Bonaparte.

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PORT STANLEY, Falkland Islands — A memorial service was held in the capital of the Falkland Islands on Friday to mark the passing of Prince Philip following his death last week at the age of 99.

Members of the local government, military officials and residents attended the event which took place in Christ Church cathedral in the center of Port Stanley.

Many present held their own personal memories of the Duke of Edinburgh who visited the British overseas territory in the South Atlantic in 1957 and again in 1991.

Various photographs of the two visits were on display in the church, one showing a smiling Philip alongside locals set beside a single-lit candle.

Islanders in attendance paid testament to his irascible nature, recounting stories of his visit, which included winning a horse race and a fishing trip with residents.