British Royal Family honours Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, as he is laid to rest at Windsor Castle 18/04/2021 (See Translation in Arabic Section) Sydney - M E Times Int'l: The Duke of Edinburgh has been laid to rest at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Prince Philip, 99, died at Windsor Castle on April 9. The funeral was full of personal touches of the Duke of Edinburgh’s own design and relatively low fuss as royal funerals go -- both at his request and due to coronavirus restrictions. 
The duke’s children Princess Anne, Prince Charles, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew walked behind his coffin in the funeral procession. Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence and the Earl of Snowdon also walked behind the coffin, trailed by members of the duke’s household staff. The mourners, limited to just 30 due to Covid restrictions, wore masks and remained socially distanced. The Queen, 94, making her first public appearance since Prince Philip’s death, was seated alone in the chapel as she said goodbye to her husband of 73 years. Her eight grandchildren were in attendance. Other mourners included the children of the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, and three of Prince Philip’s German relatives. The Duke of Sussex’s wife, Meghan Markle, was not there due to health reasons as she is heavily pregnant. She did, however, reportedly watch the service at home in California. Meghan also left a handwritten note in tribute and a wreath. The wreath included Eryngium, representing the Royal Marines, and Acanthus mollis, which is the national flower of Greece, where Philip was born on June 10, 1921. Prince William and Prince Harry sat on opposite sides of the aisle but were seen chatting after they left the service. Royal watchers believed Kate Middleton played a crucial role in ensuring the brothers made some signs of reconciliation. The chat was considered a significant moment, given the deep rift that has developed between Harry and William in recent years. 
The Duke of Sussex’s relationship with the rest of his family, including William, has been strained ever since he and his Meghan decided to step back from their roles as senior working royals in early 2020. There was a reduced choir of four singers but the congregation did not sing, in line with coronavirus restrictions. The funeral service was conducted by the Dean of Windsor, with the Archbishop of Canterbury pronouncing the blessing. The Dean paid tribute to Prince Philip's “kindness, humour and humanity” and the “many ways in which his long life has been a blessing to us”. “We have been inspired by his unwavering loyalty to our Queen, by his service to the nation and the Commonwealth, by his courage, fortitude and faith,” he said. The funeral procession, with more than 730 members of the armed forces, was headed by the Band of the Grenadier Guards, the Major General’s party, and military service chiefs. The duke’s coffin was carried in a customised, dark green Land Rover, in accordance with his long-held wishes. He had started collaborating on the project with Land Rover 18 years ago with its open-top rear section custom made to his specification. The vehicle led the funeral procession from Windsor Castle to St George’s Chapel. A ceremonial gun fire at nine locations across the UK and in Gibraltar marked the start and end of the national minute's silence. No planes landed or took off at Heathrow for six minutes to coincide with the silence and all major sporting events were rescheduled to avoid a clash with the funeral. 
The duke’s association with the Royal Navy and love of the sea was also a focus of the service but no sermon was delivered, in line with his wishes. The music included the 1860 hymn Eternal Father, Strong to Save, which is associated with seafarers and the maritime armed services. Buglers of the Royal Marines sounded Action Stations -- a signal that all hands should be ready for battle -- as the coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault at the end of the service. The funeral took place within the grounds of the castle and the public were asked not to gather there or at other royal residences. Although the streets were far emptier than they would otherwise have been there remained hundreds who gathered to pay their respects. Royal correspondent Charlie Proctor tweeted a photo of the Queen inside her car arriving at the funeral, which he claimed showed her as she “wipes away a tear as she says goodbye to her husband of 73 years.” A simple, very understandable moment of humanity – but one that would be very rare from the Queen, who has never been known for public displays of emotion. “The Queen will wipe many a tear away in the coming days … not in public but in private,” wrote another person. Ahead of the funeral, the Queen shared a favourite photograph of herself with her husband in Aberdeenshire. 
Taken by the Countess of Wessex in 2003, the picture shows the couple relaxing on a picnic rug on the grass at the Coyles of Muick beauty spot, near the Queen’s private estate of Balmoral. The Queen carried one of Prince Philip’s trademark handkerchiefs and a photo of them together in Malta in her handbag during his funeral, according to a royal insider. Her Majesty reportedly holds both items with sentimental value as she reflects on her seven-decade long marriage to the duke. The couple were frequent visitors to Malta, having lived there for two years from 1949 and regarding it as one of their happiest periods as a young couple Prince Philip’s coffin was draped in his personal standard and was topped with his Royal Navy cap and sword, which was given to him by his father-in-law King George VI. The wreath of white roses and lilies was selected by the Queen. The Queen also reportedly left a handwritten note on the coffin. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the letter’s detail, saying it was “private”. 
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