The United Kingdom bids farewell to Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s Husband National newspaper

By royal standards, it was a simple ceremony – but full of traditions and symbols. Members of the royal family rode in a car with Philip’s coffin – among them, Prince Charles, the eldest son and next to the throne. Behind him, Prince William and his brother Prince Harry.

Harry’s companion – Duchess of Sussex, Megan Markle – did not travel from the United States. The official explanation was that she asked the doctors if it was better not to travel because she was pregnant with her second child.

The coffin, covered with the Philippine banner, navy cap and sword, followed in a car, which the Duke of Edinburgh helped design 18 years ago – perfect for the moment.

The procession was quick – eight minutes – a short distance to the Church of So George. Wearing a mask, alone, Elizabeth II came to say goodbye to her great friend, who has been married to her for 73 years.

At 3 pm local time, there was a minute of silence throughout the country. It’s actually two minutes …

In the Gothic church, which was practically empty in the 15th century, the Windsor Dean held a ceremony. The Archbishop of Canterbury, president of the Anglican Church of England, also attended and said that Philip had helped to plan every detail of the funeral in life – choosing the medals and decorations on display in the chapel and the songs sung.

Dean David Connor read a few verses in memory of Philip’s life in the British Navy.

The funeral was attended by 800 guests. The epidemic spoiled the original plan: only 30 people participated. This is the rule for any and all funerals currently in the UK.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also did not attend the ceremony. During the week, Philip said he was not going to open a vacancy for a relative. But he paid tribute.

No guests are required to wear military attire. They released “casual”, public clothing, but everyone wore a mask inside the church – as is mandatory in the interior of the UK, respecting the rules of social distance. For example, the Queen was alone – for the first time in a long time.

After the ceremony, Philip’s body was laid to rest at the Royal Cemetery, which now houses 25 members of the monarchy.

In conclusion, one detail caught my attention: a conversation between the William and Harry brothers – their first public meeting after that interview, in which Harry and Megan criticized the royalty. This is a good sign for a country where a good portion of the population cares about this family union.

After the ceremony, Royalty released a photo of Prince Philip leaving the venue. Prince Philip’s funeral lasted more than an hour at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. Outside, there is not much movement. Throughout the week, the British government and royalty asked people not to take to the streets. Usually, this is done. Yes, there were those who left the house, but without the mobilization.

Just as funerals in Windsor respected the control of epidemics, the public in London obeyed and did not gather outside the monarchy’s palaces. The remaining flowers at the gates are collected.

Earlier, Royalty published a collection on social media commemorating 99 years of family patriarchy.

Tributes spread throughout the capital. Films of Philip on the screens and in the theaters of the Valley and Piccadilly Circus of scenes on the edge of the Thames. The English league teams observed a minute of silence during this Saturday’s match.

The mourning of the royal family now continues for one more week. The official national mourning ended this Saturday with the funeral of Prince Philip. On Sunday (18) the duty to maintain the flags halfway ends in all government buildings and palaces of the monarchy.

Now it is not yet known when a widowed queen will return to the official residence. She has been isolated at Windsor Castle since March 2020, when the epidemic began.