Prince Philip Funeral: what happened at the Duke of Edinburgh's Windsor ceremony?
A socially-distanced service at St George's Chapel saw the royal family pay their respects to Prince Philip, who died last week aged 99.
On Saturday afternoon the royal family of the United Kingdom gathered in St George’s Chapel to pay their respects to the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, who died last week at the age of 99 years old.
The ceremony was limited to 30 mourners due to covid-19 restrictions, with the Queen pictured sitting masked and alone in one of the most poignant images of the day. Despite the restrictions it was still an impressive occasion with Windsor Castle bathed in crisp spring sunshine.
St George’s Chapel procession for the Duke’s coffin
Although the numbers inside the chapel were limited, the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral maintained much of the military pageantry that is to be expected for such an event. In the grounds of Windsor Castle more than 730 members of the armed forces took part in the occasion.
The Prince’s coffin made the journey to the chapel on a modified Land Rover, designed with the help of the Duke himself. In the first row behind the vehicle were Prince Charles and Princess Anne, the two eldest children of the Duke and Queen Elizabeth II.
They were followed by Prince Edward and Prince Andrew, with Prince William and Prince Harry walking behind, either side of their cousin Peter Philips. Despite some speculation that the two brothers relationship had suffered in the wake of Harry’s decision to step back from royal duties, they were seen talking together after leaving the service.
The Queen travelled to the door of St George’s Chapel in a state Bentley after the procession had completed its journey. The service itself was conducted by the Dean of Windsor, who paid tribute to the Duke’s "kindness, humour and humanity" and the "many ways in which his long life has been a blessing to us".
Tributes across the nation for the Duke of Edinburgh
Given the limited numbers in attendance, tributes to the late Prince were held across the UK to mark his death. There was a ceremonial gun fired at nine locations across the country and in Gibraltar, a foreign territory of the UK.
There was a national minute’s silence immediately following the procession arriving at the Chapel. Furthermore, no planes took off from or landed at London’s Heathrow airport for six minutes, to ensure there was no disruption. All major sporting events were rescheduled to avoid a clash.
Further afield Meghan Markle, wife of the Prince’s grandson, Harry, was advised not to fly to the UK for the funeral as she is currently pregnant. However Meghan and Harry did provide a locally-sourced flower tribute to the Duke with a handmade wreath. Meghan reportedly included a handwritten note in the offering.