Prince Philip’s funeral to take place on Saturday with national silence at 3pm
The royal family has appealed to people who wish to pay their respects in person to stay at home instead.
The arrangements for Prince Philip’s ‘no fuss’ funeral have been announced with the duke set to be buried next Saturday.
A ‘royal ceremonial funeral’ will honour Philip who died at the age of 99 on Friday morning.
It will be held on on Saturday April 17 at 3pm in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace said.
A national minute’s silence will take place as the service gets under way.
Plans for the funeral have had to be scaled back because of the restrictions in place due to the Covid pandemic.
Only 30 people – expected to be the Duke’s children, grandchildren and other close family – are permitted to attend the ceremony in the chapel. They will have to wear face masks and socially distance.
The royal family has appealed to people who wish to pay their respects in person to stay at home instead.
The funeral plans – which will take place after eight days of mourning – have been revised many times over the years, in consultation with the Queen and Philip himself.
Before the pandemic the duke, who served with the British Navy during the Second World War, had requested a military-style funeral.
It was always his wish for it to be a private service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, the scene of four royal weddings in the last two decades, with just family, some friends and heads of state from Commonwealth countries in attendance.
The duke’s coffin currently lies at rest in the private chapel of Windsor Castle.
On the morning of the funeral, it will be moved in a small ceremonial procession from the state entrance of the castle to St George’s Chapel.
The coffin will be draped with Philip’s personal standard, and decorated with a wreath of flowers and his Naval cap and sword.
Covid has prevented a planned cortege through Windsor from taking place with everything now confined to the castle grounds.
Proceedings will be televised but held away from public view with no access to well-wishers.
A Palace spokesman said: ‘This event will be much reduced in scale with no public access.
‘In line with Government guidelines and public health measures, there will be no public processions and the duke’s funeral will take place entirely within the grounds of Windsor Castle.
‘The plans have been given final approval by the Queen and reflect appropriately Government advice.
‘Despite these necessary changes, they still very much reflect the personal wishes of the duke.
‘Although the ceremonial arrangements are reduced, the occasion will still celebrate and recognise the duke’s life and his more than 70 years of service to the Queen, the UK and the Commonwealth.’
The Queen has decided the royal family will enter two weeks of royal mourning, and engagements will continue appropriate to the circumstances, a senior royal official said.
At the end of the service, Philip’s coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault and will remain there until the Queen dies and they are buried together in the memorial chapel.
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