Queen Elizabeth II
The queen had to mourn alone in St. George’s Chapel
Queen Elizabeth II before the funeral service for Prince Philip begins
© imago images / i Images
The Royal Family has said goodbye to Prince Philip. She remembered the “goodness, humor and humanity” of the deceased.
After a minute’s silence, the funeral service for Prince Philip (1921-2021), who died on April 9 at the age of 99, began shortly after 4 p.m. on April 17th. Because of the corona pandemic, only 30 mourners were allowed to be present, including Queen Elizabeth II (94), with whom Philip was married for 73 years, as well as close family members such as the children and grandchildren Philips – and their partners.
Those present adhered to Corona measures such as wearing protective masks and social distancing during the ceremony. Only people from the same household were allowed to sit close together. The queen therefore sat alone, her children could not be directly at her side.
Above all, the longstanding service of Philips and his ties to the Royal Navy were the focus of the funeral service. For the background music, which had been personally chosen by the Prince Consort, a four-member choir was responsible, which sang, among other things, “Eternal Father, Strong to Save”, a hymn that is often associated with the Navy.
Prince Philip showed “unwavering loyalty”
David Conner, 74, the Dean of Windsor said that today is remembered “the many ways that his long life has been a blessing to us”. “We were inspired by his unwavering loyalty to our Queen, by his service to the nation and the Commonwealth, by his bravery, strength and faith.” Prince Philip has enriched the lives of many people, among other things with his support, with his “kindness, his humor and his humanity”.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry (36) also had to sit alone. It was already known in advance that his wife, Duchess Meghan (39), had not come. Doctors had advised the pregnant woman, who is currently expecting the couple’s second child after son Archie (1), not to travel. According to media reports, Meghan wanted to follow the funeral service via a special stream. It is said to have been made available to relatives and other guests who would have been invited but were unable to attend because of the pandemic. After the ceremony, the members of the family withdrew to bid one more private farewell.