Buckingham Palace reveals Prince Philip’s unique funeral plans

The news of Prince Philip's death on Friday morning hit people all over the world; the 99-year-stalwart old's role inside the royal family was nothing short of unforgettable.

Palace officials also announced that Philip will have a royal ceremonial funeral rather than a grand State funeral, but that it will be a far more private affair than was initially intended, partially owing to his personal desires for simplicity, and also due to Covid health and safety constraints. According to The Telegraph, Buckingham Palace has announced that they will adhere to new pandemic rules, which limit guests to 30. The general public has been asked not to try to participate.

Prince Philip's last voyage will be in a model Land Rover he helped build.

Buckingham Palace has announced details of Saturday's funeral, revealing that the Windsor Castle service would be the smallest royal send-off in modern times.

With the exception of one, all mourners will be members of the royal family.

What will the funeral look like?

The particulars of Prince Philip's funeral are now being reported by Buckingham Palace.

The funeral will be held on Saturday, April 17 at 3 p.m. in the United Kingdom.

Between now and then, Philip's corpse will be put to rest at Windsor Castle in a flower-covered coffin, but the public will not be able to see it due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The corpse will be held there before his funeral at St George's Chapel.

Members of the royal family, including Prince Harry, who is flying back from the UK, will join the burial, but members of the public are being advised not to come to the venue to see the proceedings.

Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward, Prince Philip's brothers, will all be present.

Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, will not attend.

In contrast, over 2,000 mourners attended the Queen Mother's funeral at Westminster Abbey in 2002, with tens of thousands more crowding the streets nearby.

More than a million people reportedly lined the streets to see the cortege following Princess Diana's body at her funeral in 1997, in addition to the thousands of mourners who witnessed the ceremony.

On the 17th, Philip's coffin will be “moved by a Bearer Party found by The Queen's Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. Positioned in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle will be representative detachments drawn from His Royal Highness's military special relationships,” according to the Palace statement.

The casket will then be assembled in a custom-built landrover designed by the Prince himself.

“Members of the Royal Family and members of The Duke of Edinburgh's Household will walk behind the coffin from the Quadrangle, down Chapel Hill, and into Horseshoe Cloister,” the Palace said.

Ahead of the service, The Duke of Edinburgh's Naval Cap and Sword will be placed above the coffin.

The UK's state affairs are still on pause as a show of respect in the days following Philip's passing, while a formal 30-day phase of mourning is ongoing for members of each royal family – guardsmen are now sporting black armbands.

Where will Prince Philip be laid to rest?

According to The Palace, Philip will be laid to rest in the Royal Vault in St George's Chapel – but it is expected that he will be transferred when his wife The Queen passes away – the pair's ultimate resting place will be together.

His remains will be interred with those of previous rulers.

The royal family and Prince Philip's household will walk for eight-minutes to St George's Chapel for a service led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dean of Windsor.

The palace has announced that, after the funeral, the late Duke of Edinburgh would be interred in the chapel's royal burial vault.

Ten British monarchs, including the Queen's father, George VI, and grandfather, George V, are buried in the chapel.

The funeral will bring an end to an eight-day phase of national mourning in the United Kingdom.

Eco-friendly

With certain eco-friendly touches, the ceremony will honor Philip's lifelong involvement in the climate.

The Land Rover that will carry the Duke's coffin across Windsor Castle grounds to the chapel, which Prince Philip helped design in 2005, is said to be a hybrid electric vehicle.

Another eco conscious gesture being considered by the palace is a woolen casket.

Wool coffins are constructed entirely of biodegradable fabrics and are reinforced with sturdy recycled cardboard.