Philip, who was officially the Duke of Edinburgh, died peacefully at Windsor Castle on Friday morning at the age of 99. He was the nation’s longest-serving consort — a term given to the spouse of a reigning monarch — and they had been married for 73 years.
Harry, the Duke of Sussex, will attend his grandfather’s funeral, but his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, won’t be present, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.
The couple is living in California and a doctor had advised the duchess, who is pregnant, against traveling to the UK, the spokesperson said.
The couple gave an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired in March, in which they told their side of the story in their rift with the royal family, making explosive allegations against some of its members and the establishment.
Philip’s long-standing funeral plans had been adapted to respect certain Covid-19 restrictions, with all the usual elements that involve contact with the public removed.
The College of Arms, which oversees many ceremonial aspects of the royal family’s work, had earlier confirmed the duke would not lie in state anywhere accessible to the public, which could have seen thousands of people lining up to view his coffin. Current Covid rules in England limit the number of people who can attend funerals to 30.
In a nod to the duke’s preference for driving himself, without a chauffeur, his coffin will be carried by a Land Rover from Windsor Castle to St. George’s Chapel, for the ceremony. The procession will begin at 2:45 p.m. (9:45 a.m. ET) and will be led from Windsor Castle by a band of grenadier guards, along with several heads of military units.
A Royal Navy piping party will pipe “The Still” whilst the Land Rover is stationed at the foot of the West Steps. There will be a gun salute and a national minute’s silence at 3 p.m. ahead of the ceremony. The duke’s death has been marked in a somber fashion, as the royal household and UK government have asked the public not to gather or leave flowers at royal residences, with the country still under strict Covid-19 restrictions.
The Honourable Artillery Company fire a gun salute near London‘s Tower Bridge on April 10 The Honourable Artillery Company fire a gun salute near London’s Tower Bridge on April 10 But gun salutes were held across the nation, as batteries fired 41 rounds, at one round per minute, at Windsor Castle, the Tower of London in the capital and at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, among other locations.
Australia, a Commonwealth nation, also paid its respects with a gun salute outside Parliament House in the capital, Canberra, on Saturday morning. Tributes have flooded in from the UK and abroad for the duke, who had recently spent a month in two London hospitals, undergoing heart surgery and treatment for an infection, before returning in mid-March to Windsor Castle.
An online book of condolence was launched on the royal family’s official website, as they joined the British government in asking that “members of the public consider making a donation to a charity instead of leaving floral tributes in memory of the Duke of Edinburgh.”
The bells of London’s Westminster Abbey, where Prince Philip married Queen Elizabeth more than 70 years ago, rang 99 times on Friday evening in his honor, while the British flag — the Union Jack — is flying at half-staff on government buildings.
Tributes to a life of service
Harry and Meghan said his grandfather would be “greatly missed” in a statement following news of his death.
Posted on the front page of the couple’s Archewell charity website, the message simply reads: “In loving memory of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, 1921-2021. Thank you for your service … you will be greatly missed.”
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said the “whole nation will be united in sadness at the passing of Prince Philip,” adding he should be recognized “as a remarkable and steadfast support to the Queen over so many years” but also “celebrated in his own right as a man of foresight, determination and courage.”
Tributes for the duke also flooded in from all over the world, including the Commonwealth nations of India, Australia and Canada. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had had a “distinguished career in the military and was at the forefront of many community service initiatives.
May his soul rest in peace.” Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Philip “embodied a generation that we will never see again.” Canada’s Justin Trudeau said: “Prince Philip was a man of great purpose and conviction, who was motivated by a sense of duty to others. He will be fondly remembered as a constant in the life of our Queen.”
US President Joe Biden said Philip had “gladly dedicated himself to the people of the UK, the Commonwealth, and to his family,” and that his legacy would live on “not only through his family, but in all the charitable endeavors he shaped.” ‘Constant strength and guide’ Philip married the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947, following distinguished service in the Royal Navy during World War II.
Together, they had four children — Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward — eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
When Elizabeth ascended the throne in February 1952, on the death of her father, George VI, Philip’s lifetime of service as royal consort began.
Over the decades, Philip often accompanied the Queen on royal engagements, and conducted thousands of his own solo appearances.
He once referred to himself as “the world’s most experienced plaque unveiler,” while the Queen lauded him as her “constant strength and guide.”
Philip continued making public appearances well into his 90s, retiring only in August 2017.
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