Prince Philip's coffin to be preserved in vault until Queen's death so they can be buried together: Report
Prince Philip's coffin will be preserved in a vault until the Queen dies, as the royal couple always wanted to be buried together.
The Duke of Edinburg passed away peacefully at Windsor Castle just two months before his 100th birthday. The Queen of England, his wife of over seven decades, has now approved the plans for his funeral, which is slated to take place on Saturday, April 17, at St George's Chapel at 3 pm.
RELATED ARTICLES
Prince Philip funeral: Will he have a state funeral? Here are all the details
The ceremony will observe a national minute of silence and will take place in line with coronavirus guidelines, meaning all attendees will likely be wearing face masks and social distancing. Owing to the restrictions, only 30 people will be allowed to attend the funeral.
Following his funeral, the Duke of Edinburgh's coffin will lie in the royal vault beneath the chapel until the Queen dies, as she wishes to be buried with her consort in the George VI Memorial Chapel, according to the Daily Mail.
The royal chapel is also where the Queen's parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and her sister Princess Margaret have been laid to rest. The prince is expected to be buried in his ceremonial naval uniform.
A ceremonial procession lasting eight minutes will finish at 3 pm to allow for a minute's silence to be observed across the nation. According to the report, the procession will feature a number of royals, the duke's personal protection officer, his personal secretary, two pages and two valets. Buckingham Palace will confirm the details of further funeral guests and eulogies next week.
It's worth noting that while the event has been titled a 'Ceremonial Royal Funeral', there will be no lying-in-state due to the ongoing health crisis.
"This event will be much reduced in scale with no public access," a palace spokesman said in a statement. "In line with Government guidelines and public health measures, there will be no public processions and the duke's funeral will take place entirely within the grounds of Windsor Castle."
"The plans have been given final approval by the Queen and reflect appropriately Government advice," he continued. "Despite these necessary changes, they still very much reflect the personal wishes of the duke. Although the ceremonial arrangements are reduced, the occasion will still celebrate and recognize the duke's life and his more than 70 years of service to the Queen, the UK, and the Commonwealth," the statement added.
Prince Charles offered an emotional tribute to his “dear Papa” and acknowledged the outpouring of support as Buckingham Palace offered the broad outlines of the upcoming royal funeral.
“My dear Papa was a very special person who I think, above all else, would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him,″ Charles said. “And from that point of view, we are, my family, deeply grateful for all that. It will sustain us in this particular loss and at this particularly sad time," he added.