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The Royal Family faces a dilemma over who to invite to Prince Philip’s funeral due to the coronavirus restrictions in place across England.
The Queen will only be able to invite 30 people to the ceremony – plus the clergy – at St George’s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Originally there were going to be 800 mourners from across the Duke of Edinburgh’s military units, charities and associates from across the Commonwealth.
The final list, which is expected in the next few days, will likely be made up of senior members of the Royal Family as well as the Prime Minister.
Prince Philip said he wanted a funeral with minimal fuss, but the passing of Britain’s longest serving consort was always going to be a big affair – and lorries were today seen hauling scaffolding into Windsor Castle for the preparations.
His hope for a ‘royal ceremonial funeral’ – similar to the Queen Mother’s – rather than a full state funeral, had already been granted.
But the pandemic and restrictions means this is being hastily redrawn, with Her Majesty said to have been in talks with officials last night.
They are tweaking Operation Forth Bridge and are having to drastically scale back the number of people invited to the ceremony, expected next Saturday.
The names of those invited have not been released, but it is expected to be mostly made up of senior members of the Royal Family.
The first names on the list will likely be Her Majesty, Prince Charles and Prince William – those directly in line to the throne.
Prince Philip’s other children are also expected to be there: Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
Next could be the partners of the senior royals, who are present at most official events.
These are Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, the Princess Royal’s husband Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
Prince Harry is expected to jet across from his new home in California, before quarantining ahead of the burial.
His wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, who is heavily pregnant with their second children, is not believed to be coming and neither is their son Archie.
The Queen is pictured with the Duke of Edinburgh in 2007 walking at Broadlands, Hampshire
A lorry carrying scaffolding and stage building equipment arrives at the Henry VIII gate at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, on Saturday afternoon as preparations are made for Philip’s funeral
A lorry carrying scaffolding for the funeral preparations arrives at Windsor Castle on Saturday
Rosa Wlodarczyk adjusts a photograph of the Duke of Edinburgh displayed alongside the nave at Westminster Abbey in London, which has been dressed in black to mark his death
The Queen will only be able to invite 30 people to the ceremony at St George’s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle. Pictured: Philip with William and Harry at the rugby world cup final in 2015
Prince Charles was seen leaving Windsor Castle yesterday evening, hours after the news of his father’s death broke. The Prince of Wales drove from his Highgrove Estate in Gloucestershire to the monarch’s Berkshire residence Friday morning
The rest of those to be invited is less certain but the remaining could heavily feature more distant members of the Royal Family.
Princess Anne’s children Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall could be there, with Zara’s husband and former England rugby star Mike also present.
Princess Beatrice could be joined by Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who she married last year.
Her younger sister Princess Eugenie may well also be invited, along with her husband of three years Jack Brooksbank.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex’s children may also make the cut – Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
It is also likely the Queen will invite her cousins and their spouses: Princess Alexandra, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, who have offered loyal support and service over the years.
And the Queen is close to the children of her late sister Princess Margaret – her nephew the Earl of Snowdon and niece Lady Sarah Chatto – and is likely to want them to be present as a source of comfort.
The Queen and Philip’s 10 great-grandchildren – Savannah and Isla Phillips; Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis of Cambridge; Mia, Lena and Lucas Tindall; Archie Mountbatten-Windsor; and August Brooksbank – are likely to be considered too young to attend the televised proceedings as all are aged 10 and under.
If Meghan does not attend, and Mr Tindall, Mr Brooksbank and Mr Mapelli Mozzi do, then the guest list would total 29, leaving just one place left.
This could be filled by a trusted member of the Queen or Prince Philip’s household, or perhaps Boris Johnson if the Queen decides to widen the invitation outside royal circles, or First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Tony Radakin in honour of Philip’s military service.
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge (pictured with William in 2019), the Princess Royal’s husband Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence and Sophie, Countess of Wessex could be at the funeral
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will likely be at the funeral. Yesterday was the anniversary of her wedding to Prince Charles (pictured, June 2020)
The Queen’s son Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex (pictured in November on Armistice Day) will likely be at the ceremony
The Queen’s second son, sported a blue jacket, slacks, a helmet and gloves as he enjoyed a ride near his home last week. He will likely be at his father’s funeral
Prince Harry (pictured at the Commonwealth Day Service in London last March) is jetting off from California to attend the funeral, but Meghan Markle is not coming
Under the previous plans for his funeral – known in the royal household as ‘Forth Bridge’ – his body would have been embalmed immediately and taken to the Albert Memorial Chapel by St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
The Mail understands Philip’s coffin was last night at the castle, where the Queen is in residence, most probably resting in her private chapel of worship.
But over the weekend it is likely to be moved to the Albert Memorial Chapel, which was built by Henry VII as a royal mausoleum. Philip’s coffin is likely to lie there with little ceremony – resting on two simple wooden platforms called catafalques.
Under pre-Covid plans, it would have been brought to London today by road and taken to St James’s Palace to reside temporarily in the intimate Chapel Royal.
The College of Arms said yesterday there will be no lying-in-state and Philip’s coffin would lie at rest at Windsor Castle ahead of his funeral in St George’ Chapel, most likely next Saturday.
It is likely to have been draped with his personal standard – which bears references to his Danish and Greek royal heritage, his Mountbatten roots and Edinburgh title – and a floral wreath from his family.
A vigil by his children – Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward – is likely to take place at Windsor.
On the day of his funeral, Philip’s coffin is expected to be carried by bearers from the Queen’s Company, First Battalion Grenadier Guards.
The duke will be placed on a gun carriage belonging to the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, drawn by a Royal Navy gun crew. The carriage – a personal request by Philip – is the one that carried Queen Victoria at her funeral in 1901.
A planned cortege through Windsor is now unlikely to take place. But inside Windsor Castle, events are likely to be largely the same, but with fewer mourners.
The coffin will be met by a guard of honour from The Rifles and a band in Horseshoe Cloister, surrounded by houses built in the 15th century for the chapel’s ‘singing men’.
Twelve singers known as lay clerks still live there, and they will perform during the service, with a bell tolling throughout.
On the grass south of the West Gate will be Royal Navy pipers.
A bearer party of Royal Marines will carry the coffin into St George’s Chapel via the West Steps, lined by the Household Cavalry, where the Dean of Windsor and the Archbishop of Canterbury will wait.
The coffin will be taken into the Quire – the resting place of most of the monarchs buried at the chapel. Inside or under the Quire are Edward VII, Henry VI, Edward IV, George III, George IV and William IV, Henry VIII and Charles I.
Philip’s catafalque will be placed on a black marble slab, which is the entrance to the Royal Vault.
The hymns requested by the prince are believed to include his favourite seafarer’s anthem, For Those In Peril On The Sea. At the end of the service a Psalm and the ‘ashes to ashes’ text will be read as a piper plays a lament.
The coffin will be lowered into the Royal Vault and will remain there until the Queen dies and they are buried together in the memorial chapel.
Zara Tindall and her husband and former England rugby player Mike could be at the funeral. They are pictured at Cheltenham last year
Princess Beatrice (spotted enjoying a wintery afternoon stroll with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in London in January) could be there with her husband
Her younger sister Princess Eugenie may well also be invited, along with her husband of three years Jack Brooksbank (pictured with their baby)
Lady Louise Windsor (pictured), 17, paid a touching tribute to her grandfather Prince Philip today as she was spotted out carriage driving in the grounds of Windsor Castle on the morning of his death. She may attend his funeral
Her brother James, Viscount Severn is pictured in Hunter wellies in 2019. He could be invited to the funeral of the late Prince
The day after the funeral, flags will be brought back to full mast, although the Court will remain in mourning for three more weeks.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: ‘During the coronavirus pandemic, and in light of current government advice and social distancing guidelines, modified funeral and ceremonial arrangements for His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh are being considered by Her Majesty The Queen. Details will be confirmed in due course.’
The Queen has entered an eight-day period of mourning following the death of her husband today aged 99 – as arrangements for his funeral, codenamed Operation Forth Bridge, have begun.
Royal fans have been told not to attend any part of the events that make up the funeral due to Covid restrictions.
They have also been asked not to lay flowers that could encourage crowds which may spread the coronavirus.
The number of people wanting to pay tribute to the Duke could present difficulties for police forces due to England’s ban on gatherings of more than six people or two households.
Buckingham Palace instead invited well-wishers to sign a book of condolences – but only online, to avoid crowds and queues.
Police officers on horses stopped crowds forming in front of a sign announcing his death on the railings of the palace today.
During the eight days of mourning The Queen will not carry out any duties even in private under Covid restrictions, laws will not be given the Royal Assent and affairs of state will also be paused.
Following these eight days, a further period of official Royal Mourning is expected to continue for 30 days.
Scores of people will be involved in the days ahead, from military guards and the clergy, to staff at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, who will be making sure the household continues to run smoothly during this traumatic time for the Queen.
The Queen and her children and grandchildren will enter a period of mourning for their patriarch, which could last several weeks.
Official engagements, most of which are presently online, can continue during this time, although most are postponed or cancelled, but it depends on the wishes of the monarch.
In non-pandemic times, social engagements would usually be cancelled, except those for charitable causes.
There are various types of mourning, but Royal – also known as Court – Mourning, includes the royal family, royal households and the Queen’s representatives in the UK and abroad wearing black and also using black-edged writing paper.
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (centre, is welcomed in front of the New City Hall by Michael Kretschmer, left, Prime Minister of Saxony, and Dirk Hilbert, right, Lord Mayor of the State Capital Dresden, Germany, last year). He may be at the wedding
The Earl of Hopetoun, Prince Michael of Kent, The Countess of Hopetoun and Princess Michael of Kent attend Royal Ascot Day Four on June 18, 2010 in Ascot. Prince Michael may make the list of those invited
Admiral Tony Radakin, head of the Royal Navy, may also go. He is pictured on the right last month
Boris Johnson spoke outside Downing Street to remember Philip, the love and support he had shown for the Queen and the impact he had on people all over the world. He will be at the funeral
Most of Britain’s monarchs are buried in Westminster Abbey and St George’s Chapel, but both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are in a mausoleum in Frogmore Gardens.
After her husband’s death, Victoria lived largely in isolation at Balmoral until she died on January 22, 1901. Her 40 years of mourning severely damaged the monarchy.
Following the Duke’s death, Union flags will fly at half-mast around Britain, but Philip will not lie in state and there will be no state funeral.
The Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer of the royal household, will be in charge of arrangements.
The Queen is also expected to broadcast a televised message to the nation at some stage over the next few days, although this is dependent on how she feels.
In normal times, there would be early morning rehearsals over the next week for a gun carriage and procession through the streets of London, and another in Windsor.
The day before his funeral, the coffin would be moved across the road from Chapel Royal to the Queen’s Chapel to allow an easier transfer to the gun carriage.
The funeral itself would be held in Windsor, while a military procession would take place from St James’s Palace, down Marlborough Road and up The Mall.
The gun carriage holding the coffin would then pass around the Queen Victoria Memorial, Buckingham Palace and up Constitution Hill to Wellington Arch.
Members of the military would lead the procession, with the royal family and household walking behind – but the Queen would be expected to go straight to Windsor.
At Wellington Arch, there would be a royal salute before a ceremonial transfer sees with the coffin moved to a Land Rover hearse or car and taken to Windsor.
On arrival in Windsor, there would be a slow procession driven up the Long Walk with drummers, military and members of the royal family following behind.
It would move up the Long Walk, through Cambridge Gate and then onto Park Street, High Street, past the Guildhall and Castle Hill and in through the Henry VIII gate.
The arrangements are codenamed Forth Bridge, after the Scottish landmark and Unesco World Heritage Site.
The railway bridge, crossing the Forth Estuary in Scotland, which opened in 1890, remains one of the greatest cantilever trussed bridges
Plans for the aftermath of the duke’s death have been in place for many years, and were updated and reviewed regularly by Buckingham Palace staff in consultation with the Queen and Philip.
Complicated by the coronavirus pandemic, Forth Bridge has been adjusted to take account of the crisis.
Buckingham Palace announced the death of Prince Philip at just after midday yesterday – and described the Queen’s ‘deep sorrow’
Philip has served Britain since his youth and the world is mourning his death at Windsor Castle yesterday, with the Royal Family releasing this photo and tribute shortly after his death
In a post on their Archwell website yesterday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said: ‘Thank you for your services… you will be greatly missed’
The sun breaks through the spring clouds above Buckingham Palace yesterday afternoon as people stood to remember the Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away this morning
People stood in masks, two metres apart to hug and remember the Queen’s husband, who dedicated his life to the country
A woman in a mask wipes away tears outside Windsor Castle yesterday afternoon while a mourner cried outside Buckingham Palace as the news of Philip’s death sunk in
The duke’s funeral was due to have a strong military presence in recognition of his naval career and his links with the armed forces.
But the prospect of creating a spectacle that could potentially attract hundreds of thousands of people means there is no longer expected to be a military procession in London or any processions through Windsor.
A military involvement is expected to take place within the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Those servicemen and women taking part will rapidly begin their preparations, from practising routines to polishing helmets and swords.
Royal dressers will be fastidiously choosing and preparing black mourning ensembles.
Thames Valley Police will be tasked with dealing with the security needed in the days ahead, and preventing mass gatherings.
The Royal Households have a long history of making detailed plans for royal funerals.
Arrangements for the Queen Mother’s – codenamed Tay Bridge – were 22 years old by the time she died at the age of 101.
London Bridge is the codename for the Queen’s funeral plans.
In 2004, thieves broke into a car which belonged to a palace press officer at a motorway service station and made off with a briefcase which contained the secret plans regarding the Queen .
But the case and its confidential contents were found and returned by a member of the public.
It was once said that Philip, who was known for his acerbic wit, was amused by the fact that many of those involved in the planning of his funeral had themselves died before him.
Not all royal death arrangements have been so meticulously ordered.
Queen Victoria died at the age of 81 in 1901 after a period of ill health, but the Earl Marshal, who was responsible for the funeral, had no plans in place.
The complex arrangements, including transporting Victoria’s body across the Solent from the Isle of Wight and facilitating a two-hour military procession through London involving thousands of people, had to be organised from scratch in 10 days.
In contrast, her son, Edward VII, insisted his own funeral was planned well in advance.
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