Prince Philips's funeral ceremony tomorrow: Details here
What's the story
Funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, will be held tomorrow. He died on April 9 at 99. His cause of death hasn't been disclosed yet. He would have turned 100 on June 10, 2021. Philip's death triggered eight days of national mourning in England, which culminates tomorrow. Meanwhile, the funeral will have limited attendees due to pandemic.
Funeral
Pandemic aftermath: Guest list comprises just 30 people
He will be laid to rest at the St George's Chapel in Windsor on Saturday at 3 pm (7:30 pm IST). Buckingham Palace has divulged a modest guest list comprising just 30 people, who'll be joining the congregation. Although the Royal funeral was planned years in advance with a grand goodbye, this will be a watered-down version due to the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis.
Reconciliation
Funeral also a chance for William and Harry to reconcile?
The Royal funeral will also be the first time Prince William and Harry will come face-to-face after Harry, alongside wife Meghan Markle, decided to step down from the Royal duties. Their sensational Oprah Winfrey interview also reportedly caused a lot of friction in their relationship. Hence, this meeting will grab attention. However, Markle will be skipping it due to her pregnancy.
Uniform
No military uniforms for the senior Royal family members
Traditionally, senior members of the British Royal family wear their respective military uniforms at a funeral. That will not be the case at this one. The decision was reportedly taken by the Queen herself to save her grandson, Prince Harry, from embarrassment as he rescinded his honorary titles recently. All senior male royals will now be wearing suits and ties, The Sun reported.
Life
Prince Philip was originally of Greek and Danish royalty
Prince Philip was born in Greece in 1921 and was of Greek and Danish royalty. After his family was thrown out of Greece, he completed his studies in Germany, United Kingdom, and France. He joined the Royal Navy at the age of 18 and served for 12 years including in the Mediterranean and British Pacific fleets with distinction during the Second World War.
Titles
He became a British subject to marry Elizabeth
He gave away his Greek and Danish titles before marrying Elizabeth and took Mountbatten as his surname. Just prior to his nuptial, he was given the title His Royal Highness, and made Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich by George VI, Elizabeth's father. Philip was a sports lover, especially equestrian ones. He was a president and patron of over 780 institutions.