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Prince Philip’s funeral arrangements: The official details of the service

Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images
Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images

The Queen’s husband, Prince Philip sadly passed away on Friday 9 April at the age of 99. Also known by his official title, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip had been the Queen’s husband for 73 years, as well as her consort, since she became Queen in 1952.

His funeral will take place next Saturday, 17 April, at 15:00 BST at St George's Chapel, in Windsor, Buckingham Palace has announced. There will be eight days of national mourning until that date.

A spokesman for the Palace said: "Whilst this is a time of sadness and mourning the coming days will be an opportunity to celebrate a remarkable life."

The arrangements, which will "celebrate and reflect" a life of service, have been adapted in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The details of Prince Philip’s funeral were announced the day after his passing (10 April) and it has been revealed that the Duke will have a quieter, more private service than would usually be expected for a member of the royal family. This is partly due to it being his wishes to avoid a large-scale event and partly due to restrictions around the coronavirus pandemic.

While large gatherings are not currently able to take place, Prince Philip has been honoured in many other ways, including with military gun salutes in his honour across the UK as well as in Gibraltar and on Navy ships at sea. The public are also able to contribute to Prince Philip's Book of Condolence on the Royal website.

The Duke of Sussex will be flying back from the US to join his family.

World leaders and officials who met the Duke during his decades of service have shared their memories, with many referencing his famous sense of humour and candour.

Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern publicly paid her respects, as did every living US president, including Barack Obama, who shared his memories of meeting the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh for the first time.

In a post on his official Facebook account, Obama said, “Prince Philip in particular was kind and warm, with a sharp wit and unfailing good humour. It was our first introduction to the man behind the title, and in the years since, our admiration for him has only grown."

When is Prince Philip’s funeral?

The Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral will take place on Saturday, 17 April, at 15:00 BST.

Where will Prince Philip’s funeral be?

Prince Philip’s funeral service will be held at St George's Chapel in Windsor.

Will Prince Philip have a state funeral?

Prince Philip will rest in Windsor Castle instead of lying-in-state, which is where the public would usually view the coffin and go to pay their respects.

Prince Philip will not have a traditional state funeral, instead a small service will take place at St George's Chapel, Windsor.

Social distancing and other restrictions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic have meant large gatherings will not be possible, however it was also Prince Philip's wishes to have a more smaller scale event.

What will happen at Prince Philip’s funeral?

Since the announcement of Prince Philip's passing, flags on all government buildings and any official residences where the Queen is not currently staying, have been lowered to half mast. The flags will stay at half-mast until 8am the morning after the funeral.

On the day of the funeral, Prince Philip's coffin will be moved the short distance to St George's Chapel for the service.

It has been confirmed that Prince Philip's four children; Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princess Anne, as well as Prince William and Harry, will walk with the coffin to the chapel. The Queen will travel behind them in the state Bentley.

The Palace explained that the coffin will be transported in a modified Land Rover hearse, which the Duke of Edinburgh himself was involved with designing. The procession will set off at 14:45 BST and it will be lead by the Band of the Grenadier Guards, as Prince Philip spent 42 years as its Colonel.

Also travelling with the coffin will be the Pall Bearers, which include members of various sectors of the Royal Marines.

The coffin will be received by the Dean of Windsor and the Archbishop of Canterbury and, as the doors to the chapels close, the song Carry On will commence from the Royal Navy Piping Party.

Despite the complications of the pandemic, the main aspects of the funeral service should still be going ahead, with notable references to the Duke's military history.

Buglars of the Royal Marines will sound in honour of Prince Philip's connection to the Royal Navy and, although guests will not wear full military dress, they will wear medals on their morning coats.

After the service, the duke will be interred in the Royal Vault of the chapel.

The full breakdown of the process has now been listed on the Royal Family website, where the Palace has stated that the exact Order of Service details will be released soon.

How will coronavirus restrictions affect Prince Philip’s funeral?

Due to restrictions around the pandemic, Prince Philip’s funeral will be a smaller affair, with arrangements modified to allow for social distancing. All guests will wear masks and the Queen will sit alone.

There will be 30 guests, rather than the originally planned 800, and the Queen has reportedly tried to represent as many branches of Prince Philips family and friends within the smaller number, according to the BBC.

Guests will not be able to join in singing, but four choir members will be able to take part in the service.

The public have been asked not to attend any of the events, in line with public health advice, and people have been asked not to leave flowers and tributes at royal residences. Instead, messages of condolence can be left using the Royal Family website.

Who will be at Prince Philip’s funeral?

Guests will include the Queen, Princes Charles, Andrew and Edward and Princess Anne, and the couple's grandchildren including Prince Harry, who has returned from the US.

Due to coronavirus restrictions the numbers will be greatly limited from the original guest list of 800 to just 30.

Prince Philip funeral guests

According to the BBC, the full guest list for the funeral is as follows:

  1. The Queen

  2. The Prince of Wales

  3. The Duchess of Cornwall

  4. The Duke of Cambridge

  5. The Duchess of Cambridge

  6. The Duke of Sussex

  7. The Duke of York

  8. Princess Beatrice

  9. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

  10. Princess Eugenie

  11. Jack Brooksbank

  12. The Earl of Wessex

  13. The Countess of Wessex

  14. Lady Louise Windsor

  15. Viscount Severn

  16. The Princess Royal

  17. Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence

  18. Peter Phillips

  19. Zara Phillips

  20. Mike Tindall

  21. Earl of Snowdon

  22. Lady Sarah Chatto

  23. Daniel Chatto

  24. Duke of Gloucester

  25. Duke of Kent

  26. Princess Alexandra

  27. Bernhard, Hereditary Prince of Baden

  28. Prince Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse

  29. Prince Philipp of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

  30. The Countess Mountbatten of Burma

Prince Philip's funeral - The Order of Service

The Order of Service has been released by Buckingham Palace ahead of Prince Philip's funeral. The service will be led by the Right Reverend David Conner, Dean of Windsor with the Blessing pronounced by the Archduke of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

In the Bidding, the Dean of Windsor will pay tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh's "kindness, humour and humanity" and will celebrate "his unwavering loyalty" to the Queen.

In accordance with his wishes, no sermon will be given, while the service will also pay tribute to his association to the Royal Navy. Music will include Eternal Father, Strong to Save by William Whiting, a British hymn that is associated with seafarers and the maritime armed services, according to the BBC. The service will end with the National Anthem.

How to watch Prince Philip's funeral

The Duke of Edinburgh's funeral will be broadcast on TV on Saturday 17 April on major TV channels including BBC and ITV, as well as over UK and international radio.


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