UK falls silent for a minute as Prince Philip laid to rest

Following strict social distancing the entire royal procession and funeral took place out of public view but was shown live on TV; Queen Elizabeth set an example even in grief, sitting apart from family members.

As military bands played and a procession of royals escorted his coffin to the church, Prince Philip was laid to rest on Saturday in a funeral ceremony that honoured his lifetime of service to the UK, the crown and his wife of 73 years, Queen Elizabeth II.

The widowed British monarch, setting an example amid the coronavirus pandemic, sat alone at the ceremony, dressed in black and with her head bowed in prayer.

Philip, who died April 9, two months shy of his 100th birthday, was honoured at Windsor Castle in a service that was steeped in military and royal tradition but also pared down and infused with his own personality.

The entire royal procession and funeral took place out of public view within the grounds of the castle, a 950-year-old royal residence 30 kilometres west of London, but was shown live on television.

Coronavirus restrictions meant that instead of the 800 mourners expected in the longstanding plans for Philip’s funeral, only 30 people were allowed inside the castle’s St. George’s Chapel, including the queen, her four children and her eight grandchildren.