Philip’s life and legacy remembered at funeral

Prince Philip's funeral took place in Windsor today

The Queen sat alone during the funeral service of Duke of Edinburgh
Author: Catherine Wylie and Aine Fox, PAPublished 17th Apr 2021
Last updated 17th Apr 2021

The funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh took place today at St George's chapel in Windsor.

Only 30 guests attended the ceremony due to coronavirus restrictions including Her Majesty The Queen, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s life and legacy were remembered during the funeral service reflecting his naval career, passion for engineering and dedication to the Queen.

During the poignant event attended by the Queen and his children and grandchildren, the duke was described as enriching the lives of all those he knew with his “kindness, humour and humanity”.

The day was one of contrasts, a spectacle of pomp and pageantry provided by the many regiments and military units associated with Philip during his long association with the Armed Forces who took part.

There were simple touches that reflected the man, his polished dark green four-wheeled carriage was parked so it was passed by the funeral procession – his cap, whip and brown gloves lay neatly on a folded blanket.

And the wreath of white blooms, including roses and lilies chosen by the Queen, placed on top of his coffin included a handwritten card, edged in black, from his wife the Queen of 73 years.

Prince Philip coffin

In bright brilliant sunshine the funeral procession made its way through the precincts of the castle.

Philip’s children – Prince of Wales, Princess Royal, Duke of York and Earl of Wessex – walked behind his coffin carried by a Land Rover Defender hearse the Queen’s consort helped design.

The Duke’s children looked sombre as they walked behind the Land Rover as it made its way to the chapel.

funeral procession

They were joined by the duke’s grandsons the Duke of Sussex, Duke of Cambridge and Peter Phillips and Vice Admiral Tim Lawrence, the Princess Royal’s husband, and the Queen’s nephew the Earl of Snowdon.

The royals walked in step as a military band played and all stared straight ahead into the sun as they made their way to duke’s final resting place.

Philip had followed the Queen throughout her reign as he supported her as head of state, but now she followed him, travelling for part of the procession at the rear of the cortege in a state Bentley.

The Duke of Sussex and Duke and Duchess of Cambridge could be seen chatting together after they left the service.

The Dean of Windsor, in the Bidding, paid tribute to Philip: “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.”

His love of the sea and long association with the Royal Navy permeated the service reduced choir of four singing the hymn “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” – traditionally associated with seafarers and the maritime armed services.

The Queen led the royal family from the chapel, followed by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

She had a brief conversation with the Dean of Windsor outside the chapel before being driven away.

Windsor Castle

The Duke of Edinburgh has been interred in the Royal Vault of St George’s Chapel.

His coffin was placed on a catafalque on a marble slab in the Quire and lowered into the vault by electric motor.

The Royal Vault at Windsor was created between 1804 and 1810 for George III, who died in 1820 and is one of three kings buried there.

Also interred in the vault are George IV and William IV.

Others buried there include George III’s wife Queen Charlotte and their daughter Princess Amelia, George IV’s daughter Princess Charlotte and Queen Victoria’s father the Duke of Kent.

The life of Prince Philip

Prince Philip was born in 1921

Prince Philip of Greece was born 10 June 1921 in Corfu to Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg.

Prince Philip attended school in Scotland

The Prince was one of the first pupils at Gordonstoun boarding school in Moray, Scotland, attending from 1933-1939. He was the first of three generations of royals to attend the school, with Prince Charles boarding in the 1960s, and Princess Anne's children enrolling in the 1990s.

The engagement of Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth

Prince Philip's engagement to Princess Elizabeth was announced on 9 July 1946, after he asked permission from her father, King George VI. In order to marry into the British Royal family, Prince Philip became a British citizen, and renounced his Greek title in favour of Mountbatten, the anglicised version of his mother's name. He also agreed not to invite his sisters to the wedding, as they were all married to Germans and tensions were still high following the war.

The Royal Wedding

Prince Philip married Princess Elizabeth on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey. He received new titles, including the Duke of Edinburgh, for which he is best known, and his Royal Highness. It is estimated around 200 million people tuned into the BBC radio broadcast of the wedding.

First time father

In 1948, Prince Philip became a father for the first time when Princess Elizabeth gave birth to Prince Charles. Princess Anne was born two years later.

Consort to the monarch

King George VI died 6 February 1952, making his oldest daughter Princess Elizabeth, Queen. This made the Duke of Edinburgh consort to Queen Elizabeth II. The coronation took place on 2 June 1953 and was an important feature in making television a mainstream medium, with over 20 million people tuning in to watch.

The Duke of Edinburgh award

In 1956, Prince Philip launched the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, which aims to prepare young people for adult life by developing essential skills, confidence and resilience. Today, hundreds of thousands of young people complete the award every year across 144 nations.

Meeting JFK

In 1961, a banquet was held at Buckingham Palace in honour of American President John F Kennedy. This was the President's last visit to Buckingham Palace before he was assassinated two years later. Prince Philip attended his funeral.

A family of six

In 1960 Prince Andrew was born, followed by Prince Edward in 1964. This completed the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's immediate family.

Royal Family documentary

In 1969, a television documentary entitled 'Royal Family' aired to an audience of over 30 million in the UK, before being sold worldwide, achieving over 350 million views. However, the Queen had the documentary banned and it has not been shown on TV in the UK since 1977. The documentary offered insight into the lives of the Queen and her family in an attempt to revive public interest in the Royals.

The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer

Prince Philip's oldest son, Prince Charles, married 19-year-old Lady Diana Spencer on 29 July 1981. Almost 1 billion viewers tuned in across 74 countries to watch the ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral. The wedding was considered hugely important because whoever Prince Charles married would one day become Queen.

Diana, Princess of Wales' funeral

The world was shook when Diana, Princess of Wales died suddenly in a car accident in August 1997. Hundreds of thousands of well wishers lined the streets on the day of her funeral, which saw Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Diana's brother accompany Princes William and Harry in walking behind the funeral car.

Diamond wedding anniversary

In 2007, the Queen and Prince Philip celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary- 60 years of marriage! They have since made it to their platinum anniversary, celebrating in 2017.

A family man

Prince Philip has eight grandchildren, including heir to the throne Prince William. He also has nine great-grandchildren and counting, with two more on the way in 2021.

Tipping his hat to a lifetime of service

At the age of 96, Prince Philip carried out his final solo public engagement in August 2017, before tipping his hat in acknowledgement of a lifetime of service.

Prince Philip dies aged 99

Prince Philip passed away at the age of 99 on the 9th April 2021. The Duke's funeral took place on 17 April 2021 in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Read more:

The world pays tribute to Prince Philip

Gun salute for Prince Philip

Looking back at Prince Philip's charity work

Prince Philip: The longest serving Royal consort

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