Prince Philip's funeral set for April 17 at Windsor Castle, palace officials say
The Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Queen Elizabeth II died on Friday at age 99
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Buckingham Palace officials say Prince Philip’s funeral is scheduled to take place April 17 at Windsor Castle in a family service that will be closed to the public.
The palace said Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, took part in planning his funeral and the focus on family was in accordance with his wishes. The 99-year-old duke died Friday.
Prince Harry, who stepped away from royal duties last year and now lives in California, will attend the service along with other members of the royal family. His wife, Meghan Markle, who is pregnant, has been advised by her doctor not to attend.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It will be an interesting family reunion, given that Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, recently voiced their tensions with the British royal family in a bombshell sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey.
BUCKINGHAM PALACE'S STATEMENT ABOUT PRINCE PHILIP'S DEATH SPOKE OF QUEEN ELIZABETH'S 'DEEP SORROW'
Prince Philip died on Friday at age 99 on Friday at Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace officials announced in a statement. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
During the two-hour special, Harry revealed that his relationships with his father, Prince Charles, 72, and his older brother have ruptured.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Markle described feeling so isolated and miserable inside the royal family that she had suicidal thoughts. The Duchess of Sussex also alleged that a member of the royal family had "concerns" about the color of her unborn child’s skin. The family member was not Queen Elizabeth II or her husband Prince Philip, according to Harry, sparking a flurry of speculation about who it could be.
Palace officials said that the ceremony would be conducted strictly in line with government COVID-19 guidelines, which restrict the number of people attending funerals. They declined to say whether the royal family would be required to wear masks.
PRINCE PHILIP'S MILITARY CAREER, WORLD WAR II BRAVERY: A LOOK BACK
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prince Harry is expected to attend his grandfather Prince Philip's funeral, scheduled for April 17 at Windsor Castle. (Getty Images)
Funeral details were released Saturday hours after military teams across the U.K. and on ships at sea fired 41-gun salutes to mark the death of the duke, honoring the former naval officer whom they considered one of their own.
Batteries in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast — the capitals of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom — as well as other cities around the U.K. and the Mediterranean outpost of Gibraltar fired the volleys at one-minute intervals beginning at midday. Ships including the HMS Montrose, a frigate patrolling the Persian Gulf, offered their own salutes.
Philip died Friday at Windsor Castle, two months before his 100th birthday.
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The Duke of Edinburgh is the longest-serving royal consort in British history. He and the queen have four children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. (Reuters)
"It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle," Buckingham Palace's statement Friday read.
On Feb. 16, Philip was admitted to a London hospital after feeling ill. On March 3, he underwent a procedure for a pre-existing heart condition at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital before being transferred back to King Edward VII hospital on March 5 and ultimately released home on March 16.
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He is the longest-serving royal consort in British history. He and the queen have four children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.