Nation holds minute’s silence to honour Prince Philip as funeral begins

A minute’s silence has been held across the nation in honour of Prince Philip.

The Duke of Edinburgh died at the age of 99 on Friday, April 9.

The tribute at 3pm, signalled by a gun fired by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, marks the beginning of his funeral, which is now underway at St George’s Chapel.

Outside Windsor Castle and the nearby Long Walk, hundreds of mourners who had lined the streets clutching Union flags and flowers fell quiet.

Meanwhile, a crowd gathered at the gates of Buckingham Palace also observed the silence.

Boris Johnson, who has said his ‘thoughts are with Her Majesty and her family’, observed the silence while watching the funeral on television from his country residence in Chequers.

At Philip’s former school – Gordonstoun in Moray, northern Scotland – pupils fell silent outside the main building, after laying a wreath off nearby Hopeman Harbour, where the duke learned to sail.

A nationwide period of mourning has been observed since the duke’s death and will last up to and including his funeral this afternoon.

Union flags at royal residences and on Government buildings were lowered to half-mast and will stay that way until 8am tomorrow morning.

A number of sporting events have been moved or postponed ahead of the funeral, including Premier League football, Formula One and Rugby Union.

Due to coronavirus restrictions there is no public element to the funeral, which is taking place entirely in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

The originally-planned guest list of 800 has also been significantly pared back to the legally-permitted 30 – all of whom will wear face masks and sit apart.

The ceremonial arrangements of the funeral began earlier this morning when the coffin, covered with Philip’s personal standard along with his sword, naval cap and a wreath of flowers, was moved from the private chapel to the Inner Hall of Windsor Castle.

The Prince of Wales and Princess Royal led senior royals in walking behind their father’s coffin the short distance from the castle to St George’s Chapel.

Philip’s coffin was carried on a custom-built Land Rover Defender hearse designed by the duke and modified over 16 years.

It was followed for part of its final journey by the Queen, who travelled in a Bentley with Lady Susan Hussey, with her trusted lady-in-waiting – with both wearing facemasks.

Watching as it passed were royal mourners including the Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Wessex and her children Viscount Severn and Lady Louise Windsor.

Zara and Mike Tindall, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank were also in attendance.

The Duke of Sussex and Duke of Cambridge joined the procession but were separated by their cousin Peter Phillips. They were seated opposite one another in St George’s Chapel during the service, with William next to wife Kate.

Cutting a solitary figure at the front of the quire, nearest the altar, the Queen sat apart from her children.

There was a space left beside her where her husband of 73 years the duke would have sat.

In a statement posted just after the minute of silence at 3pm, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award wrote on Instagram: ‘Thank you, Your Royal Highness, for the incredible legacy you leave through (the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award), empowering young people across the world with the skills, confidence and resilience to make the most of life and make a difference to the world around them.’

Members of the Leeds PHAB Club observed the silence outside the Prince Philip Centre, which is named after the duke.

Philip visited the centre at least four times since he was instrumental in starting it in 1969.

Just six members and volunteers gathered for a socially-distanced observance of the silence due to Covid restrictions.

Ann Hart, honorary secretary of the PHAB club which brings together disabled and abled-bodied people from across Leeds, was among the group.

Mrs Hart, who met Philip three times, said: ‘He was just an absolutely fantastic man.

‘He was really interested in anything you did. He wanted to know the be-all-and-end-all of everything.’

Meanwhile, staff and punters at pubs and social clubs named after the nation’s longest serving consort also fell silent, including at the Duke of Edinburgh pub in Hull and the Prince Philip Community Centre in Leeds.

Philip will be interred in the royal vault in the chapel at the end of the service, which will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, David Conner.

A senior palace official said: ‘The dean will give the commendation as the coffin is lowered into the royal vault, Garter Principal King of Arms will then proclaim His Royal Highness’s styles and titles from the sanctuary.’

A lament will then be played by a pipe major of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the Last Post will be sounded by Buglers of the Royal Marines from the west end of the Nave.

After a period of silence, the Reveille, used to wake the military at sunrise, will be sounded by the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry from the west end of the Nave.

The Buglers of the Royal Marines will sound Action Stations, which will be followed by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s blessing and the singing of the National Anthem by the choir.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.