Prince Philip to get his dying wish of a ‘no-fuss’ funeral next Saturday thanks to Covid restrictions

THE Duke will get his dying wish of a small “no-fuss” funeral, thanks to ongoing Covid restrictions.

Instead of the pageantry of a State Funeral, he will have just 30 mourners at the Windsor service, which is thought to be next Saturday.

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The poignant ceremony will end with his body being taken to lie in the Royal Vault within St George’s chapel, where he will wait to be reunited with his beloved Queen.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be one of just a handful of non-royal mourners.

Even before Covid, humble Prince Philip had turned down the opportunity for a full State Funeral and the chance to lie in state at Westminster Abbey.

The plans for his funeral, code-named Operation Forth Bridge, did however include full military honours which will now have to be dramatically scaled back.

Those details included his coffin being moved from Windsor to St James’s Palace in London, before being carried through the streets on a gun carriage.

There were also instructions for a 26-mile cortege procession back to Windsor on the day, allowing mourners to line the streets and pay their final respects.

None of these events are now expected to happen due to the issue with crowds.

A royal source said: “Covid-19 has ruined the arrangements and members of the public are encouraged not to gather in crowds, and to commemorate privately.”

The Queen is currently discussing and finalising new Covid-compliant plans with the Lord Chamberlain’s Office.

It is likely the Duke’s coffin will remain at Windsor Castle all week.

He is expected to be laid to rest after a private ceremony at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

His coffin will then be taken to the Royal Vault — where the bodies of the Queen’s beloved father, George VI, and grandfather, George V, were held before being moved to tombs elsewhere in the chapel.

FLAGS AT HALF MAST

Other notable royals interred at St George’s include Henry VIII and Charles I.

Flags will fly at half mast on UK government buildings in tribute to the Duke until the morning after his funeral.

Guidance was issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the flying of official flags.

All such flags, which include Union flags and any national flag, were to be “half-masted on all UK government buildings as soon as possible until 8am on the day following the funeral”.

Department chiefs also advised that any non-official flags, which include for example the rainbow flag or Armed Forces flag, should be taken down and replaced with a Union flag flying at half-mast.

Devolved administrations would issue instructions “for the flying of the Union flag and other official flags on buildings in their estate and others as necessary”.

The Welsh Government said flags would be flown at half mast on all Government buildings.

Scottish Parliament presiding officer Ken Macintosh expressed his condolences, as he ordered the flags outside Holyrood to fly at half mast.

The Union flag was lowered at Buckingham Palace moments after the midday statement.

Only the Royal Standard at the Palace remained unaffected.

There will be no books of condolence opened in buildings for mourners — like those for Princess Diana and the Queen Mother — but they will be available online.

Palace insiders are concerned any public event could encourage grieving crowds and fall foul of Covid restrictions.

A statement released yesterday by the College of Arms, the body which organises state occasions, said: “The funeral will not be a State Funeral and will not be preceded by a Lying-in-State.

“His Royal Highness’s body will lie at rest in Windsor Castle ahead of the funeral in St George’s Chapel. This is in line with custom and with His Royal Highness’s wishes.

"The funeral arrangements have been revised in view of the prevailing circumstances arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is regretfully requested the public do not attempt to attend or participate in any of the events that make up the funeral.”

Royal Navy veteran Philip had arranged a ceremony full of ­military pomp in the build-up to the funeral and a private service at St George's Chapel.

The original plan — now canned due to Covid — was for the Duke’s coffin to be brought into the Albert Memorial Chapel, within St George’s, for the first 24 hours.

His coffin was to be laid on trestles in front of the altar, with six funeral candlesticks around it.

The next day, the funeral cortege would have been due to be taken to the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace, where his coffin was to be draped with the Duke’s personal standard, and a wreath of flowers.

It was to be received by the Dean of the Chapels, Royal Bishop Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London.

There was planned to be a royal salute by the St James’s Palace detachment of the Queen’s Guard.

PERIOD OF MOURNING

The bearer party, consisting of Foot Guards, would carry the ­coffin into the Chapel Royal.

And prayers were arranged to be said and senior members of the Royal Family including Prince William and Prince Charles would probably have been present.

Before Covid struck, Philip’s coffin was to remain at rest in the Chapel Royal for seven days for a period of mourning.

Seven days after his death, it was to be carried from there over the road into the Queen’s Chapel, Marlborough Road. The bearer party was going to consist of Foot Guards.

It was expected there would have been a brief vigil by Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward that evening in the Queen’s Chapel.

A midday funeral procession from St James’s Palace will also not now take place.

Philip is expected to remain in the Royal Vault until the Queen dies and they will both be taken to the George VI Memorial Chapel as their final resting place together.

It also emerged yesterday that BBC newsreaders are to wear black and MPs black armbands.