Harry but no Meghan at pared-back funeral for Prince Philip

London

THE funeral of Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, will take place on April 17, Buckingham Palace said last Saturday, announcing a stripped-back ceremony due to coronavirus restrictions, and a return for exiled royal Prince Harry but not his wife, Meghan.

The announcement came as the couple's eldest son, heir to the throne Prince Charles, 72, paid a heartfelt tribute to his "dear Papa", and said he and the royal family missed him "enormously".

"My dear Papa was a very special person who I think above all else would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him, and from that point of view we are, my family, deeply grateful for all that," he added. "It will sustain us in this particular loss and at this particularly sad time."

The Duke of Edinburgh - the 94-year-old queen's husband of 73 years - died peacefully last Friday just two months short of his 100th birthday, triggering eight days of national mourning.

Royal officials said his funeral, which will be televised, will take place at 1400 GMT on Saturday, April 17 in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, west of London.

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It will be preceded by a national minute's silence.

Government guidelines restrict mourners to just 30 people and close attention has been paid to the pared-down guest list for the funeral, particularly whether the duke's grandson Harry would attend.

Palace officials confirmed he would but his American wife, Meghan, who is pregnant with their second child, had been advised against travelling from the United States on medical grounds. The couple, who quit frontline royal duties last year, have launched a series of broadsides against the royals, including accusing them of racism, and of failing to treat Meghan's mental health.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not be attending the funeral either because of Covid restrictions, Downing Street said.

Gun salutes echoed around the United Kingdom last Saturday as the armed forces paid solemn tribute to the duke.

The coordinated 41-round volleys to the former Royal Navy commander were fired at a rate of one per minute from 12.00 (1100 GMT) in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, as well as at naval bases, from warships at sea, and in the British territory Gibraltar.

Similar salutes - the most according to military protocol - were also held in Canberra and Wellington, as the Queen is head of state in Australia and New Zealand.

Sporting events, including Premier League football matches, English county championship cricket and the Grand National horserace, held silences as part of worldwide tributes.

The death of the duke, the longest serving royal consort in British history, is a profound loss for the Queen, who once described him as her "strength and stay" throughout her long reign.

The duke will not lie in state; no military processions

Flags were flying at half-mast on government buildings and will do so until the morning after his funeral.

The well-rehearsed protocol for the duke's death - codenamed "Forth Bridge" - has been hastily revised because of the coronavirus pandemic, eliminating public events where crowds could gather.

Parliament will be recalled on Monday for lawmakers to pay tribute, but the duke will not lie in state, nor will there will be military processions.

British television stations cleared their schedules for special broadcasts looking back on his life last Friday, although the BBC said it had received complaints about the blanket coverage.

On Saturday, tributes poured in from home and abroad, with Mr Johnson giving "thanks, as a nation and a kingdom, for the extraordinary life and work of Prince Philip". Political and faith leaders from across the world also paid their respects, as did global royalty and Pope Francis.

On Saturday, members of the public continued to pay their respects outside Buckingham Palace and Windsor, despite royal family requests not to gather at royal residences because of the restrictions.

Hundreds of flowers that had been laid outside the Queen's official residence in central London on Friday have been moved to Windsor, apparently to discourage further gathering.

An online book of condolences on the royal family's official website has been put in place rather than conventional public tributes. AFP