Prince Philip died on Friday, April 9 at age 99, and the late royal’s funeral plans have now been announced. According to royal reporter Omid Scobie, Philip will not receive a state funeral, per his wishes, and his funeral will be held in St. George’s Chapel on a yet-to-be announced date.
“In line with his wishes, Prince Philip will not receive a State Funeral and his body will not be Lying-in-State,” Scobie tweeted on Friday. “Instead, the Duke will lie at Windsor Castle until his funeral in St George’s Chapel. Due to pandemic, public have been ‘regretfully requested’ not to attend.” Harper’s Bazaar reports that Philip was closely involved with the arrangements for his funeral, which will be a royal ceremonial funeral, though some plans will be modified due to the pandemic. The country’s affairs are now on pause and the queen has entered an eight-day period of mourning. A further period of royal mourning will continue afterward for an additional 30 days.
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Prince Philip’s death was announced on Friday morning in a statement from the Palace. “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,” the message read. “His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”
Per tradition, the announcement was posted at the gates of Buckingham Palace, though it will be removed shortly to avoid crowds gathering amid the pandemic. In addition, the royal family has asked in a statement that members of the public make a charity donation instead of leaving floral tributes in memory of the late Duke of Edinburgh as a safety precaution. After the news of Philip’s death was reported, several royal family members honored him on social media including Prince William and Kate Middleton, whose official Instagram account, @kensingtonroyal, changed its profile picture from a photo of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their three children to their official monogram.
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall’ account, [Clarence House], changed its profile photo to the Prince of Wales’ crest, and [The Royal Family] put up a photo of the United Kingdom’s crest. All three accounts also posted the same black-and-white photo of Philip and the official statement announcing his passing. The royal family’s website has also been changed to feature a photo of Philip. “The official website of the Royal Family is temporarily unavailable while appropriate changes are made,” a message reads.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared a tribute to the late royal on their Archewell Foundation website. “In Loving Memory of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, 1921-2021,” the text reads. “Thank you for your service…you will be greatly missed.”
