LONDON (AP) – British soldiers, sailors and air force personnel were practicing, polishing and finalizing preparations for Prince Philip’s funeral on Friday, a martial but personal service that will mark the death of a royal patriarch who is also one of the declining World War II Veterans.
More than 700 military will take part in Saturday’s funeral ceremony at Windsor Castle, including army bands, Royal Marine bugle players and a guard of honor drawn from across the armed forces.
But coronavirus restrictions mean that instead of the 800 mourners included in the funeral plans before Philip’s death last week, there will be only 30 in St. George’s Chapel, including the widowed Queen Elizabeth II and her four children.
Philip, who died at the age of 99 on April 9, was deeply involved in planning his funeral, an event that reflects his Royal Navy service and lifelong military ties – and his love for the rugged Land Rover. Philip drove different versions of the four-wheel drive vehicle for decades until he had to give up his driver’s license after a crash at the age of 97. His body will be carried to the chapel on a custom Land Rover Defender of his own design, painted military green and with an open back to carry a chest.
Philip and the Queen’s children – Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – walk behind the hearse. Grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry too, although not side by side. The brothers, whose relationship has been strained by Harry’s decision to quit royal duties and move to California, will flank their cousin Peter Phillips, Princess Anne’s son.
The moment will likely bring back memories of the image of William and Harry on 15 and 12, who walked behind the coffin of their mother Princess Diana in 1997, accompanied by their grandfather Philip.
Armed Forces bands will play hymns and classical music prior to the funeral service, which will also be preceded by a nationwide minute of silence.
Inside the Gothic chapel, the setting for centuries of royal weddings and funerals, the service will include Royal Marine buglers sounding “Action Stations,” an alarm that warns sailors to prepare for battle. That was a personal request from Philip, who spent nearly 14 years with the Royal Navy and saw action in the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans during World War II.
General Nick Carter, the head of the British Armed Forces, said the ceremony “would reflect military precision and, above all, I think, will be a celebration of a life well lived.”
“It will also show, I think, how much the armed forces loved and respected him,” Carter told the BBC. “The military has always had a great respect for people who have their values and standards and who have indeed shown great courage, and I think that when we look back on his war past, that feeling of courage and what he did is something we have great admiration in front of. ”
Along with Philip’s children and grandchildren, the 30 funeral guests included other senior royals and several of his German relatives. Born Prince of Greece and Denmark, Philip, like the Queen, is related to a thicket of European royal families.
Mourners are instructed to wear masks and observe social aloofness in the chapel, and not participate when a four-piece choir sings hymns. The Queen, who has spent much of the past year at Windsor Castle with her husband, will sit alone.
People continued to plant flowers outside the castle, 20 miles west of London, as they have been doing all week, despite official pleas to stay away due to the coronavirus.
Many said they were motivated by sympathy for the Queen, who lost her 73-year-old husband.
“We are here mainly for the Queen,” said Barbara Lee, who came with her children and grandchildren. “You know, we feel so sorry for her, just like our own grandmothers, mothers. It’s been a long time to have been with someone, a lifetime, and she must be absolutely broken. And they all should, because in the end they are a normal family. “
In a break with custom, members of the royal family who have served in the armed forces or have ceremonial military appointments will wear civilian clothes to the funeral.
The decree, signed by the queen, means that Harry won’t risk being the only member of the royal family who isn’t in uniform. Harry lost his military honorary titles after relinquishing royal duties last year. As a result, protocol suggested that Harry, an Army veteran who served twice in Afghanistan, would only wear a suit of medals at royal functions.
The decision also sidesteps another potential controversy after reports that Prince Andrew, the Queen’s second eldest son, was considering wearing an admiral’s uniform for his father’s funeral. Andrew retains his military titles, even though he’s been sidelined over a scandal surrounding his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Jo Kearney in Windsor contributed to this story.
For AP’s full coverage of Prince Philip’s death, visit https://apnews.com/hub/prince-philip