Princes William and Harry Will Not Walk Side by Side at Prince Philip's Funeral

Prince Philip’s funeral arrangements have had to be significantly adjusted to account for the fact that the service is taking place during the coronavirus pandemic. And today, the royal household has confirmed further details of the day, including the fact that the Queen will be wearing a mask throughout and sitting alone, in line with current restrictions. Just 30 people will attend the 50-minute service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor including Philip’s four children, his eight grandchildren and most of their partners, as well as three relatives from the German side of his family.

It has also been confirmed that both Princes William and Harry will walk behind his coffin, but not side by side, as their cousin Peter Phillips will be standing between them for the procession through the grounds of Windsor Castle. When the coffin arrives at St George’s Chapel and they move into a formation of pairs, Prince William will walk beside Peter Phillips while Prince Harry will be alongside Princess Margaret’s son David Armstrong-Jones, the 2nd Earl of Snowdon. Following debate about the dress code, which could have seen Harry in a suit while other royals wore uniforms reflecting their honorary appointments, a spokesperson confirmed that all male royals will be in suits. “Members of the Royal Family will be wearing Morning Coat with medals or Day Dress. That’s to say Members of the Royal Family will not be in military uniform,” a spokesman said.

Other guests making up the 30 allowed include the Queen’s cousins the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra, as well as Philip’s close friend Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma. The full list is as follows:

The 30 guests will be seated in the chapel’s Quire and, a spokesman confirmed, will wear masks throughout and observe social distancing. All other people there, such as the clergy, the military presence, the choir and members of Prince Philip’s former staff, will be classed as working and allowed to be present in addition to the guests.

On the day of the funeral, Philip’s coffin will be moved from the Private Chapel to the Inner Hall of Windsor Castle at 11 a.m. local time. The Dean of Windsor will say prayers at the coffin before departing for St George’s Chapel at 2:10 p.m. The military detachments who will be positioned in the quadrangle will take their places and the funeral guests who are not in the procession, including Camilla, Kate and Sophie, will be seen departing from Windsor Castle for the Chapel starting at 2:20 p.m.

Royals who are walking behind the coffin (Philip’s four children, William, Harry and Peter Phillips, as well as Anne’s husband Tim Laurence and Princess Margaret’s son the 2nd Earl of Snowdon) will take their places before it is lifted onto the customized Land Rover just after 2:40 p.m. They will not be required to put on their masks until they arrive at the Chapel.

The first sighting of the Queen, who will be wearing a mask for the duration, will be when she departs the Sovereign’s Entrance at Windsor Castle in a State Bentley at 2:44 p.m, attended by a Lady-in-Waiting. The National Anthem will be played and the procession will begin.

Ahead of the funeral service at 3 p.m., which will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, a national one minute of silence will be observed. At one point, the poignant sound of “The Last Post” will be sounded by the Buglers of the Royal Marines. At another time, the Buglers will sound “Action Stations,” which a senior royal official said was at Prince Philip’s request. “Action Stations is an announcement on a Naval warship that all hands must go to battle stations,” a senior royal official explained. Philip served with the Royal Navy until he left active service in July 1951 to support the Queen in her duties.

Despite the fact that his funeral service has been considerably modified because of COVID, a royal spokesman reiterated today that it is still “very much in line with The Duke’s wishes.”

“Her Majesty and the Royal Family are grateful for all the messages of condolence from around the world and have been touched to see and hear so many people sharing fond memories of The Duke, in celebration of his life,” a spokesman said.

You Might Also Like

• A Cleaning Expert Explains the Best Way to Clean Cloth Face Masks After You Wear Them — Good Housekeeping

• 35 Delicious Pantry Recipes That Use What's Already in Your Cabinets and Freezer — Good Housekeeping

• The Amish keep to themselves. And they’re hiding a horrifying secret. — Cosmopolitan