The funeral of Prince Philip, who died yesterday at the age of 99, will be held on Saturday 17 April at 3 pm (4 pm in Italy) in St George’s Chapel in Windsor. Buckingham Palace announced this.
Prince Harry will be at his grandfather’s funeral, Buckingham Palace announced, specifying that his pregnant wife Meghan Markle will not fly from the United States to the United Kingdom on the advice of doctors.
The ceremony, which will “celebrate and reflect” on a life of service to the nation, has been tailored to the circumstances imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, Buckingham Palace announced. Before the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh, which will be celebrated in accordance with Royal Family ceremonial but will not be a state funeral, eight days of national mourning will be observed in the UK.
There will be no funeral parlor open to the public. “While this is a time of sadness and pain, the next few days will be an opportunity to celebrate a remarkable life,” said a Buckingham Palace spokesperson.
British media anticipate some details of Prince Philip’s funeral. On the day of the funeral, the coffin will be transported along the short path that separates the royal apartments of Windsor Castle from St George’s Chapel, where the ceremony will take place. Members of the royal family, including the heir to the throne Charles, will follow the coffin on foot, while the queen will reach the chapel separately.
After the ceremony, the Duke of Edinburgh will be interred in the Royal Vault of the chapel, where numerous members of the royal family are buried, including three rulers: George III, George IV and William IV. Henry VIII, one of the most important monarchs in English and British history, is buried in the Choir of the Chapel of San GIorgio.
Starting in the 19th century, St George’s Chapel and (in the case of Queen Victoria) the nearby Frogmore Gardens replaced Westminster Abbey as the burial place of the members of the British monarchy. Even Queen Elizabeth has already chosen the chapel as the place of her burial.
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