Posted on 04/17/2021 16:13
(Credit: ALASTAIR GRANT)
The funeral of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s husband, who will cripple the United Kingdom on Saturday, 17, marks a reunion between brothers William and Harry. This is the first time the two have been side by side since Harry left the royal family and went to Canada with wife Meghan Markle – today, the couple lives in California with their son Archie.
Harry arrived in London last week and has since been isolated and is serving in quarantine. According to The Telegraph, the brothers have already spoken over the phone, and Princess Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, William’s wife, will mediate the rapprochement between the two.
At today’s party, the entire British royal family will wear civilian clothes and brothers William and Harry will bypass a cousin – Peter Phillips – who is also a member of the royal family. It’s unclear if the two will have space for a private conversation – and for the British, that’s the big question surrounding Philip’s funeral.
Harry, 36, who shook the monarchy a year ago when he decided to step down from his royal duties. For this reason, he won’t walk behind his grandfather’s coffin with William, 38, who is second in line to the throne – just behind his father, Prince Charles. This would be Harry’s first public appearance with the royal family since he and Megan gave an interview to US host Oprah Winfrey, accusing an unidentified member of the royal family of racism.
Philip died on Friday, the ninth, with two months left before his 100th birthday. According to his will, he will be buried today near Windsor Castle, and due to the pandemic, only 30 people, most of them close relatives, will be able to attend the funeral. Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth II, who will turn 95 on 21, will all guests wear masks and stay at a distance.
Among those present, in addition to children, Camilla, Charles’ wife, and all of the Duke’s grandchildren and wives (except for Megan, who is pregnant and residing in the United States), the children of the Queen’s sister – Princess Margaret, deceased in 2002 – and three German relatives of Philip. The funeral will be broadcast on TV.
According to Buckingham Palace, although everyone wore civilian clothes, the men of the royal family would wear their military medals. According to the press, this was a decision of Queen Elizabeth. Otherwise, the funeral will confirm the loss of the military titles of Prince Harry, a former captain in the Army, since his exit from the monarchy.
There was also the problem of Andrew, the Queen’s third son and former helicopter pilot who fought in the Falklands War in 1982. The 61-year-old prince was removed from public life after the scandal caused by his friendship with American pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. According to the press, the Royal Navy was opposed to seeing him in uniform.
Since his death, Philip’s body has been kept in the private chapel at Windsor Castle. Today, at around 2:40 PM (10:40 AM in Brasilia), the body will be placed in a modified Land Rover, which will take less than 10 minutes to drive to the Church of Sao Jorge, also at Windsor Castle.
Along the way, the street will be surrounded by soldiers, in appreciation of the Prince’s naval service. Shots will fire and the bells will ring. The God Save the Queen hymn will be played when the procession arrives at church, as the choir will sing a song chosen before the religious service.
The car that will hold the body was designed by Philip himself
Prince Philip, who served as a naval officer in World War II and always maintained close ties with the armed forces, wanted a military-style party. For this reason, his coffin will not be transported in record, but in an army green Land Rover, which he designed specifically for the occasion.
Queen Elizabeth II’s husband was a fan of the design and engineering of Land Rover, a trademark that has become an icon of the United Kingdom. His project, which modified the Defender TD5130, was carried out 16 years ago and required the vehicle to be painted olive green. The last adjustments were made by Philip in 2019, including special supports to prevent the coffin from tampering with the track.
“The Duke was a huge fan of design, engineering and technology. During his visits to our facilities, he partnered with hundreds of employees and showed remarkable knowledge and a deep interest in making cars,” said Thierry Bolloere, CEO of Jaguar. land Rover.
Land Rover models are widely used by hunters on UK rural estates. It is also popular in former British colonies, especially on tourist safaris in South African countries. In Malvinas (Falkland Islands), they are the only vehicle capable of off-road travel of the archipelago. (With international agencies)
Information from the newspaper State of Sao Paulo.
