The Queen set an example even in grief, sitting apart from family members arrayed around the church
Queen Elizabeth II takes her seat for the funeral service of Britain’s Prince Philip inside St George’s Chapel
Queen Elizabeth II sat alone in the quire of St George’s Chapel during the funeral of Prince Philip, the man who had been by her side for 73 years.
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Philip, who died April 9 at the age of 99, was laid to rest in the Royal Vault at Windsor Castle after a funeral service steeped in military and royal tradition—but also pared down and infused with his own personality. Meanwhile, Princes William and Harry didn’t line up shoulder to shoulder as they took their places for the procession. William and Harry’s cousin Peter Phillips stood between the princes as they prepared to escort the coffin to the chapel.
Camilla and Prince Charles
The arrangement minimised the chances of any awkward moments between the brothers, who have faced a strain in their relationship since Harry’s decision to step away from royal duties last year. Only 30 close family members and friends attended the service, amid restrictions designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. All of the family members taking part in the funeral wore civilian clothes, not military uniforms, in accordance with the wishes of Queen Elizabeth II.
Kate Middleton paid tribute to Princess Diana and The Queen as she wore Her Majesty’s pearl choker, which was previously lent to her late mother-in-law, to the funeral. Pics/AFP
‘His job was to not let her down’
When Prince Philip married the heir to the British throne, he knew he was stepping into virtually uncharted territory. There was no official role for the husband of a sovereign Queen. “There was no precedent,” he said when he turned 90. “If I asked somebody, ‘What do you expect me to do?’ They looked blank. They had no idea.”
Pallbearers of the Royal Marines carry the coffin on the West Steps of St George’s Chapel
But at that crucial moment, he carved out the part he would carry through the decades: the Queen’s honest and unwavering bedrock of support. His marriage both defined and constricted his life, placing the irascible, tough-minded Philip three steps behind the queen in public. In the 1970s, Michael Parker, an old navy friend and former private secretary of the prince, said of him: “He told me the first day he offered me my job, that his job was never to let her down.”
‘Okay, stop’: BBC gets flak for excessive coverage of demise
The BBC’s coverage of the death of Prince Philip has drawn almost 1,10,000 complaints from the public, making it the most complained-about piece of television programming ever in the UK.
Prince William and Prince Harry
The broadcaster cleared its normal schedules across two TV channels on Friday to run a series of special programmes after Queen Elizabeth II’s husband died at the age of 99. Popular shows like EastEnders and the Masterchef cookery competition show were postponed.
The BBC said in a statement that Philip’s death was a “significant event which generated a lot of interest both nationally and internationally,” but acknowledged that some thought the rolling coverage was excessive.
Prince Philip designed his own hearse
Prince Philip, who liked Land Rovers and drove them for much of his life, made his last journey in one-a no-nonsense vehicle customised at his direction, down to its military green colour.
The modified Land Rover TD5 130 carried Prince Philip’s coffin in a procession at Windsor Castle on Saturday. The hearse was built at the Land Rover factory in Solihull in 2003, when Philip turned 82, and modified over the years with an open-top rear section to hold his coffin, with final changes being made up until 2019.
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