Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, breathed his last at 99 as announced by Buckingham Palace. The statement further issued by the palace also spoke about the Queen’s deep sorrow following his demise at the Windsor Castle.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was the longest-serving royal consort in British history. He walked down the aisle with the Queen over six decades ago.
The Man Behind the Title
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was a member of the British royal family as the husband of Elizabeth II. Prince Philip was born into the Greek and Danish royal families in Greece.
But his family had to go into exile when he was eighteen months old. After rounding off his education in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, he joined the British Royal Navy in 1939, when he turned 18. During the Second World War, he also had the opportunity to serve the Mediterranean and Pacific Fleets.
In Loving Memory of The Prince
Offering a tribute to the duke, Westminster Abbey began to toll its tenor bell once every 60 seconds at 18:00 BST. They rang the bell 99 times to honor the number of years the Prince was around.
The flag at Buckingham Palace was flying at half-mast. They also posted a notice onto the gates to honor him. People also placed flowers outside the palace to pay their last respects at the Windsor Castle. The Royal Family asked the people to consider making a charity instead of leaving flowers. They also arranged for an online condolence book at the official Royal website for people who wants to convey their condolence messages. A 41-gun salute was also in place to honor Prince Philip in numerous cities. This includes London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, and Gibraltar, also at sea from Royal Navy warships as per the Ministry of Defence.
Windsor in Mourning
Windsor is a town that has been privy to many royal events over the years. And this includes both happy and not-so-happy events. However, the grief clouding the town today is unfathomable.
Some of the locals left a card, expressing their heartfelt condolences. The flag there wasn’t lowered to half-mast because of the Royal Standard. That is, the Queen is in residence. This one flag remains at full mast. The Duke spent his last few weeks at this place after his discharge from the hospital.
The Funeral Arrangements
The funeral has been supposed to occur at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. But, because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the arrangements have been amended as per the College of Arms statement. The funeral will also not be a state funeral, and the duke will not lie in state. Prince Philips’ mortal remains will lie at rest at the Windsor Castle as per the customs and his Royal Highness’s wishes.
The statement also spoke about their regret for not letting people attend the funeral as they did not want the pandemic to spread. Buckingham Palace will give out the complete details of the funeral and update the same on the Royal Website. The UK government building has been notified to fly official flags at half-mast in tribune until 8:00 BST after the day of the funeral.
A Fitting Tribute
The prince’s legacy will live on, not only through his family but because of his humane nature as he was constantly involved in a charitable trust to do good to people. The Palace will continue to offer various announcements as time goes by.
A Land Rover that Prince Philip helped design almost 15 years ago will hold center stage as his pandemic-inflicted ceremonial funeral procession at Windsor Castle in southeast England. Buckingham Palace released this information. The vehicle is said to be a modified Defender 130 Gun Bus.
A plaque displayed outside Buckingham Palace, announcing the Duke’s death, was later removed. This was because they were afraid it would attract crowds. However, people still left flowers, cards, and tributes outside the Palace and at Windsor Castle, showing their immense love for the deceased Duke.
World leaders, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said the deceased Duke of Edinburgh had earned the affection of generations of people in Britain and across the Commonwealth. And this shows the massive impact he has had on everyone he met in his lifetime. The internet is flooding with images and tributes to the deceased Duke and praying for his soul to rest in peace!
