Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, died at Windsor Castle on April 9 at the age of 99. He was the longest-serving consort in the country – the name used to describe the husband of a reigning monarch – and had been married to the queen for 73 years.
Those in attendance included senior members of the royal family as well as relatives and close friends of the Duke, including Bernhard, Hereditary Prince of Baden, Penny Brabourne, Countess Mountbatten of Burma and Prince Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse.
Philip maintained close ties with the military community throughout his life after completing his naval service in 1953, including serving as Captain General of the Royal Marines.
The funeral ceremony
Prior to the ceremony, the Duke’s casket – which will be draped with his personal flag, and on which his sword, naval cap and a garland of flowers will be placed – will be brought in a procession from Windsor Castle to the chapel. by the Band of the Grenadier Guards.
The vehicle is followed on foot by senior members of the family, including Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, Prince William and Prince Harry. They will all be dressed in civilian clothes.
Some of the Duke’s closest aides, including his private secretary and personal protection officer, will also walk in the procession.
Meanwhile, the rest of the parish, including Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall; Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge; Princess Beatrice; Princess Eugenie and other family members come to the chapel by car.
Prince Harry’s wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, will not be attending after her doctor has advised against international travel.
The queen arrives separately at the chapel, attended by a lady-in-waiting.
A life of service
Rifles are fired at minute intervals and the tower curfew bell rings for the funeral service, while a national minute of silence will mark the beginning.
In the chapel, all members of the congregation will wear a face covering, as required by public health regulations.
The Duke was deeply involved in planning his own funeral service, selecting the music, and ensuring that the ceremony reflected his military preferences and personal interests.
The service will be led by the Dean of Windsor, the Right Reverend David Conner, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and is expected to last 50 minutes. Among the readings will be Ecclesiasticus 43 and John 11.
A four-piece choir, accompanied by the organ, will sing pieces selected by the Duke, including Benjamin Britten’s “Jubilate in C”, a piece he commissioned for St George’s Chapel Choir. In line with the coronavirus restrictions, the municipality is not singing along with the choir.
The choir also sings an adaptation of Psalm 104, which the duke wanted to have set to music by William Lovelady. The piece was sung at a concert in honor of Prince Philip’s 75th birthday.
The Dean will then give praise and the Duke’s coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault, where many members of the Royal Family are buried. The vault, located under the chapel, was built by George III, one of the many kings buried in it.
The safe will not be Philips’ final resting place. When the queen dies, he is transferred to King George VI’s memorial chapel to lie down next to her.
At the Duke’s request, the end of the funeral service will be marked by the sounding emblems of the Royal Marines sounding “Action Stations,” an announcement traditionally made on a naval warship to indicate that all hands must go to combat stations.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will then pronounce the blessing. The ceremony is then concluded with the national anthem.
Tributes to Prince Philip have poured in from benefactors around the world, many of whom have commented on the Duke’s extraordinary life and his service to the Queen.
He joined the Royal Navy in 1939, the same year he first met Elizabeth, and served during World War II. They were married in 1947, and after the Queen’s accession to the throne in 1952, he relinquished his rank of lieutenant commander to support her in her royal duties.
He took an active role in the Royal Family before retiring in 2017.
The royal family went into mourning for two weeks after his death, and many broadcasters in the UK postponed major programs as a mark of respect.
Harry’s brother William, the Duke of Cambridge, said Prince Philip was an “extraordinary man and part of an extraordinary generation” with an “infectious sense of adventure”.
CNN’s Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Laura Smith-Spark, Angela Dewan, Sarah Dean, Luke McGee and Eoin McSweeney contributed to this report.