Funeral arrangements — codenamed Operation Forth Bridge, after the Scottish landmark and UNESCO World Heritage Site — are under way for Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, who died last Friday just two months shy of his 100th birthday.
The televised ceremonial royal funeral will be held at St George’s Chapel, in the grounds of Windsor Castle, at 16:00 ECT on Saturday, 17 April, during which a nationwide minute of silence will be held.
The following are the plans that have been announced so far:
Where will the funeral take place?
In line with his wishes for a “no fuss” funeral, the Duke of Edinburgh will not lie in state. This also adheres to COVID pandemic restrictions on mass gatherings, to prevent members of the public from congregating at public spaces to pay their last respects. Instead, he will lie in rest in the private chapel at Windsor Castle until the day of the funeral.
Only 30 mourners will be attending the scaled-down service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle
What will happen on the day?
Like the Queen Mother and Diana, Princess of Wales, the duke will have a ceremonial funeral. State funerals are usually reserved for monarchs — with the only exception having been made for wartime Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.
On the day of the funeral, the coffin will be moved from the private chapel to the State Entrance of Windsor Castle. It will be placed on a modified Land Rover, that the duke himself helped design, to be carried the short distance to St George’s Chapel. Some members of the Royal Family — including Princes Charles, William and Harry — will walk behind the coffin.
Who will attend the funeral?
England’s COVID restrictions stipulate that only 30 people, all masked and socially distanced, are allowed to attend funerals. This excludes the pallbearers and clergy.
Prince Harry (seen here with his wife Meghan Markle) will be meeting other family members for the first time since he quit his senior royal role a year ago
Prince Harry is among the family members who will attend the service. His pregnant wife, Meghan, however has been given doctor’s orders not to travel. The Duke of Sussex now lives in the US with his wife and has not returned to the UK since stepping down as a senior royal last year. In another departure from the norm, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he will not attend the funeral to make room for royal family members instead.
What happens next?
The current period of national mourning with flags flying at half-mast at all UK government buildings will end on the day of the funeral. The Royal Family will observe two weeks of mourning but members will continue to attend engagements and wear black mourning bands where appropriate.
Gun salutes took place across the UK and in Gibraltar at midday last Saturday. Royal Navy ships at sea also fired salutes in tribute to the duke, who served as a naval officer during World War Two.
A 41-round gun salute was fired in London on Saturday to mark the death of Prince Philip
How long will political campaigning be suspended?
Local elections are scheduled for May 6 but Conservative and Labour MPs have been instructed to refrain from election-related media appearances until after the funeral. The Prime Minister’s press conferences and announcements are also now limited to COVID matters. Parliament convenes on Monday to pay tribute to the duke, after which some local campaigning will resume from Tuesday onwards.
How can the public pay their respects?
Original plans for the days leading up to the funeral, and the funeral itself, have had to be dramatically scaled down due to COVID restrictions. Members of the public have been asked not to gather at royal residences nor to leave floral tributes — but to donate to charities close to the duke’s heart instead. Nevertheless, people have continued to place flowers, cards and tributes outside the palace and at Windsor Castle. The public can also post their personal tributes on an online condolence book.
