The specially designed Land Rover hearse that will carry the Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin from Windsor Castle to St George’s Chapel has been revealed by Buckingham Palace ahead of Prince Philip’s funeral Saturday afternoon.
The Duke of Edinburgh designed the green Land Rover that will be used this weekend. The project to design the vehicle began 18 years ago. The hearse is made from a Land Rover Defender TD5 130 chassis cab that was made Land Rover’s factory in Solihull in 2003.
Modifications included repainting the Land Rover from the original Belize Green to Dark Bronze Green to reflect the colour used in several military Land Rovers. Changes continued on the vehicle through 2019.
About the Land Rover, Thierry Bolloré, Jaguar Land Rover’s Chief Executive said:
“We are deeply privileged to have enjoyed a very long and happy association with The Duke of Edinburgh over many decades. We are also honoured that the Land Rover which The Duke designed will be used at the funeral on Saturday. The Duke was a tremendous champion for design, engineering and technology. During his visits to our sites, he engaged with hundreds of employees and demonstrated his impressive knowledge and deep interest in vehicle design, engineering and manufacturing. The Duke was a truly remarkable man and will be greatly missed.”
Since its modification, Land Rover kept the vehicle and has worked with the Royal Household to prepare it for the funeral. The Duke’s children will walk behind the Land Rover hearse carrying their father’s casket. Three of Prince Philip’s grandsons will join the procession: Princes William and Harry and Peter Phillips. Princess Anne’s husband, Vice Admiral Timothy Lawrence and The Queen’s nephew, the Earl of Snowdon, will also walk behind the coffin. His Royal Highness’s staff will walk behind members of the Royal Family.
The Duke of Edinburgh favoured Land Rovers throughout his life and even gave them his Royal Warrant four decades ago. He paid many visits to Land Rover factories over the years and even joined The Queen in 2014 when she opened Jaguar Land Rover’s new Engine Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral will take place at 3 pm on Saturday, 17 April at St George’s Chapel and will televised across the globe.
