The United Kingdom observed a minute of silence in memory of Prince Philip at 3pm this Saturday at the start of his funeral at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, the royal home west of London.
According to France-Presse, the moment of homage to Isabel II’s husband was marked when her coffin was carried on the steps leading to the church, where she would be buried in the royal coffin.
The moment of silence passed when the royal family gathered for the funeral of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who had supported the crown for more than seven decades.
The ceremony, limited to 30 people by the Govt-19 epidemic, began just before 3pm at Windsor Castle grounds west of London.
A few days before her 95th birthday, the Queen of England bids farewell to those who have had her “strength” and “support” in her own words since she was crowned in 1952.
Known for his outspokenness and humor, the prince has achieved a record longevity in the country’s history: he will have turned 100 on June 10th.
Covered with the personal quality of the Duke of Edinburgh, his sword, navy cap and a garland, this coffin was raised to be placed on the back of a green army Land Rover that the prince had helped build for 16 years.
The procession, led by Crown Prince Carlos and his sister Princess Anne – along with the Queen in her Royal Bentley – followed the coffin to Chao George Church for religious service.
In the third row of the funeral procession, behind the children of the Queen and Prince Philip, were her grandchildren William and Harry. Between the two brothers, along with relatives, was Princess Anne’s son’s cousin Peter Phillips.
This choice was widely commented in the press, looking for any sign of reconciliation between the two sons of Prince Carlos.
This is the first time Prince Harry has met the royal family in public since leaving the monarchy on the other side of the Atlantic. Harry’s wife Megan Markle, who was pregnant with her second child, stayed in the United States on the advice of a doctor.
The procession was accompanied by the roar of Grenadier guards, of which Philip was a colonel for 42 years, proudly representing the military past of the Duke of Edinburgh who fought in the Navy during World War II.
The coffin will then be placed in the “Royal Vault” until it dies and the Queen joins it.
Although the public has been advised not to meet outside government residences due to the epidemic, Windsor is packed with flowers in the hands of visitors and locals alike.
“After the ceremony, I will leave these flowers near the castle,” Maggie Culper told the French Press Agency (AFP).
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