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British Royals

The Queen is a solitary figure as she mourns alone

The Queen bowed her head as the plaintive strains of the Royal Navy hymn began to sound through the ancient walls of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor at the funeral of her husband of 73 years.

Her Majesty was seated alone in The Quire at St. George’s owing to the coronavirus pandemic. In front of her was Prince Philip’s coffin as the service marking his life and passing gets under way. The only flowers adorning his casket were a collection of roses and lilies from his wife.

The Duke of York was several seats away from her, to maintain social distancing. The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall were directly opposite her in the chapel.

The Queen was driven to the funeral behind the procession in which Prince Philip’s coffin was borne on a specially designed Land Rover. The couple’s four children walked directly behind it.

Prince Philip died on April 9th 2021 at Windsor Castle. He will be buried in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.