By Union flags flying over the royal palaces and Number 10 have been raised from half mast to mark the end of the period of national mourning for Prince Philip.
Video footage showed the flags outside Buckingham Palace and the prime minister’s official residence being raised this morning, while other official buildings across the country followed suit.
While the period of national mourning has ended, the Queen will continue to grieve her husband and the royal family will mark a further week of official mourning.
The nation fell silent in memory of the Duke of Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon, as the funeral ceremony marking his life of duty took place at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
The duke’s “unwavering loyalty” to the monarch was highlighted at the service, as the Queen bid a final farewell to her beloved husband – her “strength and stay” through 73 years of marriage.
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The Queen and senior royals, all masked, were seated beneath the banners of Garter knights and ladies, in the home of the most ancient British order of chivalry, to which Philip was installed in 1948 by George VI. The duke’s own banner, emblazoned with his coat of arms, was removed on his death, along with the heraldic accoutrements of his sword, helm and crest. His Garter stall plate will remain, and a traditional Garter laurel wreath was placed in his stall.
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Prince Philip’s coffin was draped in his personal Royal standard flag with his military cap and sword placed on top carried by pall bearers.
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The United Kingdom fell silent for a minute of reflection ahead of Prince Philip’s funeral on Saturday afternoon. The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery fired a gunshot to signal the start of the silence at St George’s Chapel.
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The Duke of Edinburgh was taken from Windsor Castle in the back of a Land Rover he helped design for the army, to his resting place at St George’s Chapel at 3pm on April 17.
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Prince Philip was the guiding force behind all elements of the funeral, having meticulously planned the ceremony over at least 18 years. It featured Royal Navy pipers as well as the sailors’ hymn Eternal Father, Strong to Save. More than 700 military personnel from units with links to the Duke are understood to be taking part in the ceremonial elements of the day.
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The Queen, in black and wearing Queen Mary’s eye-catching Richmond brooch, arrived in the state Bentley, other senior royals in a fleet of Rolls-Royce Phantoms.
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The Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin had been placed in the Queen’s private chapel but was moved to the Inner Hall ahead of the ceremony by members of The Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. Members from all three services along with The Household Cavalry and The Foot Guards had gathered to line the route from the Inner Hall to St George’s Chapel where the service was held.
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Princes Charles, Andrew, Edward and Princess Anne, as well as grandsons Princes William and Harry, followed the custom built Land Rover hearse in a procession to St George’s Chapel, Windsor. The guest list for the service included 30 people, with three of Prince Philip’s German relatives.
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Prince Andrew also sat alone, two seats away from his mother. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were on the opposite side of the aisle to the Queen.
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William and Harry put on dignified front at Prince Philip’s funeral. At the end of the service, however, William and Harry chatted as they walked with Kate up the hill towards the castle.
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The duke’s association with the Royal Navy and love of the sea was also a focus of the service but no sermon was delivered, in line with his wishes. The music included the 1860 hymn Eternal Father, Strong to Save, by William Whiting, which is associated with seafarers and the maritime armed services. There was a reduced choir of four singers but the congregation did not sing, in line with coronavirus restrictions.
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The Royal Family had asked members of the public to stay away because of coronavirus restrictions. And the streets of this town were far emptier than they would otherwise have been. But hundreds still gathered in the sun to pay their respects.
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Pregnant Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, had hoped to attend ceremony at Windsor Castle but was advised against travelling by her doctor.The Duchess of Sussex wrote the card attached to the wreath sent by her and Prince Harry to ensure that, in a small way, she played a part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral service.
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Tributes were left to the two clergy present. The dean of Windsor, David Conner, praised his “kindness, humour and humanity” and said the nation was “ inspired by his unwavering loyalty to our Queen”. The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, gave thanks for “ his resolute faith and loyalty” and his “high sense of duty and integrity”.
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After 73 years marriage, it was utterly heartbreaking to see the Queen sat alone. A sombre image of the Queen sitting alone in the chapel has touched many people online, who have expressed their sorrow and sympathy for the monarch.
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Spouses of the children and grandchildren are among the congregation, including two who have married into the family in recent years – Jack Brooksbank and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, husbands of Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice. The other mourners included the children of the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, and three of Prince Philip’s German relatives – Bernhard, the Hereditary Prince of Baden; Donatus, Prince and Landgrave of Hesse; and Prince Philipp of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.
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A royal family insider revealed that the Queen wished to carry one of Philip’s trademark white handkerchiefs. This was an enduring feature of the Duke of Edinburgh’s classic exemplary style. Made by his Savile Row tailors Kent & Haste, the pocket squares with its crisp, folded squares, were inserted into the breast pockets of Philip’s perfectly cut suits. To pay tribute to their long marriage, she is additionally said to have carried with her a little photo of both of them together, thought to have been taken in Malta.
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