Prince Philip: Time Of Funeral, How To Watch, How to Stream and More
“The duke's coffin is draped in his personal flag, his standard. The flag represents elements of his life, from his Greek heritage to his British titles. A wreath of flowers has also been placed on the coffin,” the BBC said.
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and the husband of Queen Elizabeth for 73 years, died on April 9, at the age of 99.
According to the BBC, the Duke will be laid to rest on April 17. The ceremonial royal funeral will take place that day at St George's Chapel, which is on the grounds of Windsor Castle. Until the funeral, Prince Philip will lie at rest at Windsor Castle.
A ceremonial funeral is different from a state funeral, which in the U.K. only happens for monarchs. However, plans have been in the works for the funeral of Prince Philip for quite some time.
“While this is naturally a time of sadness and mourning for the royal family and the many others who knew or admired the Duke of Edinburgh, it is hoped that the coming days will also be seen as an opportunity to celebrate a remarkable life — remarkable both in terms of his vast contribution and lasting legacy," a spokesman for Buckingham Palace said.
The late prince reportedly planned aspects of the funeral himself, and his coffin will be moved from a private chapel to the State Entrance of the Windsor Castle, in a modified Land Rover that Prince Philip helped design himself, the BBC said.
“The duke's coffin is draped in his personal flag, his standard. The flag represents elements of his life, from his Greek heritage to his British titles. A wreath of flowers has also been placed on the coffin,” the BBC said.
After the ceremony, Prince Philip will be interred in the royal vault.
With the coronavirus pandemic continuing, and also due to the Duke’s wishes, the funeral will be smaller than it typically would be, and will not be open to the general public.
Buckingham Palace has not yet announced the attendee list for the proceedings, although it is known that Prince Harry will attend, in his first return to the U.K. since his move to the U.S. His wife, Meghan Markle, who is pregnant, will not be at the funeral. Only about 30 people are expected to attend in person; British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is among those who will not attend.
The funeral will begin at 3 p.m. U.K. time, or 10 a.m. Eastern time. The funeral will be broadcast live on the BBC in the U.K., and other places where it is available. It is likely that news channels in the U.S. will also broadcast at least part of the funeral. CNN’s channel listings state that live coverage of Prince Philip’s funeral will begin at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time on April 17.
Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.