Enlarge image
The funeral service for Prince Philip will take place here: Windsor Castle
Photo: Leon Neal / Getty Images
Now it's official: The funeral service for Prince Philip will take place next Saturday at Windsor Castle.
As Buckingham Palace announced, a nationwide minute of silence is to take place before the memorial service for the deceased husband of Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Harry, who lives with his family in the United States, is reportedly also coming to the funeral.
His heavily pregnant wife Meghan was advised against the arduous trip.
Because of the Corona rules, only 30 guests are allowed to participate instead of the originally planned 800.
Prince Philip died on Friday morning two months before his 100th birthday at Windsor Castle.
He and the Queen were married to each other for over seven decades.
She always praised him as "my strength and support".
Speaking at the 1997 gold wedding anniversary, she said, "I and his whole family, as well as this country and many other countries, owe more to him than he would ever admit or we could ever suspect." On a special broadcast on the BBC, Charles, his father, said I wanted to be remembered not only as a companion of the Queen, but also as my own personality.
Enlarge image
Married for more than seventy years: The Queen and Prince Philip
Photo: A0001 UPI INP / dpa
The nationwide mourning period follows a clear protocol.
A death plan is being prepared for every senior member of the British royal family while they are still alive.
The funeral ceremony will be broadcast on TV
According to the palace, the funeral ceremony will be televised, but will be smaller than usual due to the corona pandemic to prevent crowds.
That should accommodate Prince Philip, who has wished for a private memorial service and a burial at Windsor Castle.
Despite requests from the palace to refrain from doing so, many people laid flowers at the castles in London, Windsor and elsewhere on Saturday.
A spokesman for the palace park administration in Windsor told the British news agency PA, the flowers were removed in a "respectful" manner and moved to a place inside the palace grounds.
dop / AFP / dpa