Duke of Edinburgh's death: What happens next?

The death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was announced by Buckingham Palace this morning, but what happens next?

There will be no lying in state and no state funeral for Prince Philip, in accordance with his wishes, but there is expected to be a ceremonial royal funeral with his burial likely to take place in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Buckingham Palace will confirm the arrangements for the duke’s funeral in the next day or so.

Here is a look at all the events which might take place over the coming eight days:

Duke wanted a 'minimum of fuss'

The Lord Chamberlain will finalise the long-held master plan – codenamed Forth Bridge – for the duke’s funeral and the days leading up to it with the Queen and set in motion the carefully orchestrated programme of events.

Philip helped draw up the details himself and was determined there should be a minimum of fuss.

Behind the scenes, aides and household staff will already have a contingency plan for use during the coronavirus outbreak, but will be busy adjusting it in line with current advice.

Tributes to Prince Philip

Tributes have come in from around the world from presidents, prime ministers, heads of state, foreign royals, charities and the military.

Members of the public have started to leave flowers at the gates of Buckingham Palace, and to read the framed plaque palace staff had placed on the gates announcing his death on Friday.

After several visitors queued to view the plaque, royal staff removed it so that it would not encourage a large congregation at the gate in breach of coronavirus safety regulations.

Book of condolence for Prince Philip

The Royal Family's Twitter account posted that a physical Book of Condolence will not be available for the public to sign during the current public health situation,

An online book of condolence for Prince Philip has been created for people to pay their respects.

The Royal Family also asked that members of the public consider making a donation to a charity instead of leaving floral tributes in memory of The Duke.

Flags fly at half mast for The Duke of Edinburgh

Union flags on royal buildings where the monarch is not in residence are being flown at half-mast.

The Royal Standard never flies at half-mast because it represents the sovereign and the United Kingdom, and is a symbol of the continuation of the monarchy.

If the Queen is in residence at a royal palace or castle, the Royal Standard will fly there full-mast as is the tradition.

The Union flag will fly at half-mast over the Houses of Parliament and other key sites.

Royal family’s mourning for Prince Philip

The Queen has to decide whether the royal family enters Court Mourning – dressing in black and using black-edged writing paper – or the alternative, shorter Family Mourning – dressing in black – and how long this will last.

Some official engagements may continue, but social engagements – all on hold anyway because of the pandemic – are usually cancelled after the death of a senior member of the royal family unless in aid of charity.

Family Mourning for the Queen Mother in 2002 lasted three weeks.

National Mourning

The Government decides on the length of any National Mourning.

A nationwide two-minute silence could take place, as it did for the Queen Mother on the day of her funeral.

Parliament

Parliament is likely to honour the duke, with politicians gathering for special sessions in both the Commons and the Lords.

But arrangements will depend on what the Government is advising in terms of MPs socially distancing in Parliament.

Lying in state

The duke’s coffin will not lie in state.

This has long been reported as the plan but, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, has the added benefit of freeing the Government and the Royal Household from a series of logistical nightmares.

The Queen Mother – the last sovereign’s consort to die – lay in state in Westminster Hall, allowing hundreds of thousands of people, who queued for hours, to file past to pay their respects.

But Philip always insisted he did not want this honour.

The Duke of Edinburgh's funeral

The duke’s funeral will not be a state funeral; instead it is set to be a ceremonial royal funeral.

This is in keeping with protocol. The Queen Mother was also given a ceremonial royal funeral.

The duke’s funeral is expected to take place at Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel eight days after his death.

Philip’s children and older grandchildren were likely to have walked behind the coffin, similar to the processions for the funerals of Diana, Princess of Wales, and the Queen Mother.

The televised funeral service – for which the order of service is already set – was originally planned for 800 guests, but will now have to take into account the strict limit on numbers during the pandemic.

At present, only 30 guests are allowed to attend a funeral in England.

In the coming days, Buckingham Palace aides will confirm the finalised plans, with how they should be handled during the worst public health crisis for a generation at the forefront of their minds.

Prince Philip's Burial

The duke is expected to be buried in the Royal Vault in St George’s Chapel on the same day as the funeral.

This interment service will be private, attended by the Queen and senior members of the royal family.

Prince Philip in pictures:

Read more:

Prince Philip's legacy - The Duke of Edinburgh Award

The UK's longest serving royal consort, a royal marriage.

The Duke of Edinburgh's incredible charity work

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