The royal family said their final goodbyes to Prince Philip on Saturday at an intimate funeral service attended by only 30 people at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Philip died on April 9 at age 99.
The slimmed-down royal funeral, which was not a state funeral per the prince’s wishes, started with a unique, personal touch.
The late Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin was driven to St. George’s Chapel in a modified Land Rover that he helped design for that very purpose. The royal drove Land Rovers for much of his life, and the palace said he suggested changes for the vehicle up until 2019.
Family members walked behind the car, while Queen Elizabeth was taken to the church in a state Bentley.
Queen Elizabeth, who arrived to the chapel alongside her lady in waiting, Lady Susan Hussey, was pictured sitting alone with a mask on:
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who helped conduct the service on Saturday, spoke about the queen ahead of the funeral.
“She’s the queen, she will behave with the extraordinary dignity and extraordinary courage that she always does. And at the same time, she is saying farewell to someone to who she was married for 73 years,” said Friday while asking for prayers for the monarch.
“I think that must be a very, very profound thing in anybody’s life, and I hope that the whole nation, if they believe in that, then they pray for her,” he added. “If they don’t then they sympathise and, in their hearts, offer their condolences to her, and the hope for her to find strength in what must be an anguished moment.”
