Queen Elizabeth II bade farewell to her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on Saturday, April 17. Prince Philip has dedicated more than 70 years to the royal family with his tireless efforts. At her husband’s funeral service, the Queen sat alone, dressed in black and wearing a black mask.
In a few days it will be the Queen’s 95th birthday. Today, surrounded by her closest royal family members, she paid tribute to the men who have given her “strength” and “support” since her coronation in 1952.
Prince Philip died “peacefully” eight days ago at Windsor Castle at the age of 99. His funeral was a modest affair, with only 30 people attending the church service due to the coronavirus Civid-19 pandemic.
The ceremony began shortly before 15:00 p.m. (14:00 GMT) at Windsor Castle Estate in west London, where the Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin was covered with his personal standard: sword and navy cap, and a wreath. The coffin was carried in an army green Land Rover, which he had spent 16 years designing himself.
Crown Prince Charles and Princess Anne led a short funeral procession. The Queen followed in a Bentley. They took the casket to St. George’s Church for the farewell ceremony.
Prince Philip now rests in the family crypt in St. George’s Chapel inside Windsor Castle. But this is only a temporary placement. When the Queen joins him in her centenary year, the couple will be moved to the Memorial Chapel of King George VI, father of Elizabeth II, which will be their final resting place.
Born on June 10, 1921, on the Greek island of Corfu, Prince Philip was a Greek prince who served in the Royal Navy during World War II, married Princess Elizabeth in 1947, and spent the next 70 years tirelessly supporting Elizabeth II and serving the British royal family.
In February, Prince Philip was hospitalized, first for an infection and then for a heart problem. And then returned home in March.
During his lifetime, he was known for his blunt speech and humor, sometimes flirting on topics such as race or gender, causing trouble non-controversy. After Prince Philip’s death, Queen Elizabeth II said she felt “a great void”.
Prince Philip died in the midst of a storm of “racial discrimination” allegations against the British royal family. His grandson Harry and granddaughter-in-law Meghan accused the British royal family of indifference and discrimination against her black heritage in a television interview with U.S. host Oprah Winfrey on March 9.
In the funeral procession, following the Queen and Prince Philip’s children were grandchildren William and Harry, who walked in the third row, AFP said. They were seen talking briefly as they left the church.
Earlier in the march, the estranged brothers were separated by Princess Anne’s son, their cousin Peter Philip. The choice was widely commented on by the media, which has been looking for signs of a rapprochement between Prince Charles’ two sons.
The two brothers had followed side by side the casket of their mother, Princess Diana, who was tragically killed in a car accident in Paris after being chased by paparazzi in 1997.
This is the first time Prince Harry and his mixed-race wife Meghan will be reunited with the royal family in public since they left the royal family to live in America.
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