Duke of Edinburgh's death: What happens next?
Prince Philip said he didn't want a state funeral
Last updated 9th Apr 2021
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:
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:
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