The service followed a national minutes silence at 3pm
Prince Philip has been laid to rest at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. In a simple yet moving service, attended by just 30 people in line with Covid restrictions, members of his close family said goodbye to the Duke of Edinburgh, who was 99 when he passed away on 9 April.
The duke’s coffin was carried on a custom-built Land Rover Defender hearse that he himself had designed. He was followed by senior royals led by Prince Charles and Princess Anne, and including his grandchildren Prince William, Prince Harry, and Prince Andrew.
Regiments with a special relationship to The Duke of Edinburgh form up in the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle.
Military bands play music including ‘I Vow to Thee My Country’ and ‘Jerusalem’. pic.twitter.com/Pak2TqVW8v
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 17, 2021
The procession lasted eight minutes, with a gun fired by the King’s Troop Royal House Artillery on every minute.
For the final part of the journey, the coffin was followed by the Queen, who was in a Bentley with Lady Susan Hussey. It is the first time that the Queen has been seen in public since her husband’s death.
The Queen arrives at St George's Chapel, where she is greeted by the Dean of Windsor, the Right Reverend David Conner.
Prince Philip's coffin is followed by senior royals, including the Prince of Wales, Princess Royal, and Princes William and Harry.https://t.co/5veRhyq58Z pic.twitter.com/bfU3fuRJpY
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 17, 2021
As the procession arrived at St George’s Chapel there was a national minutes silence observed both at Windsor and across the country before the service began.
An impeccably observed minute's silence at the Crucible in memory of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh pic.twitter.com/ykxuGSf91R
— Eurosport (@eurosport) April 17, 2021
All sporting fixtures that had been scheduled to take place at 3pm were rescheduled earlier this week in order to avoid a clash with the funeral. No planes landed or took off at Heathrow for six minutes in order to coincide with the silence.
There was a strong military and maritime theme throughout the funeral, in reference to Prince Philip’s love of the sea and long association with the Royal Navy. The Duke of Edinburgh’s military insignia, such as medals and decorations, were positioned on cushions on the chapel’s altar.
The Queen sat alone in the chapel, in order to maintain social distancing, in what was one of the smallest events in living memory to mark the death of a senior member of the royal family.
The Dean of Windsor, who conducted the service, paid tribute to Prince Philip’s “kindness, humour and humanity.”
The dean said: “With grateful hearts, we remember the many ways in which his long life has been a blessing to us.
“We have been inspired by his unwavering loyalty to our Queen, by his service to the Nation and the Commonwealth, by his courage, fortitude and faith.
“Our lives have been enriched through the challenges that he has set us, the encouragement that he has given us, his kindness, humour and humanity.”
