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Grief-Stricken Britain Burying Prince Philip

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – A grief-stricken nation said farewell to Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, who spent more than seven decades supporting his wife in a role that both defined and constrained his life.

Nearly 100 years after entering the world on a dining room table in Corfu, Prince Philip’s final journey began on a chilly spring afternoon in the English town of Windsor.

The prince, who died April 9 at age 99, was laid to rest in an intimate funeral at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, the 950-year-old royal residence 20 miles (30 kilometers) west of London.

Britain honored Philip with a minute’s silence observed at 3 p.m., the end marked by a gun fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The final shot signaled the start of a funeral service steeped in military and royal tradition.

Philip’s body was carried to St. George’s Chapel at the castle on a Land Rover that the prince himself had specially designed. It was followed by members of the Royal Family, including Princes William and Harry.

It was the two brothers’ first public appearance together since Harry and his wife, Meghan, gave a controversial interview to U.S. television host Oprah Winfrey. In the interview, they discussed the difficulties of royal life and how the two brothers had grown apart.

Their appearance at the service stirred memories of the 1997 funeral of Princess Diana, when William and Harry, then 15 and 12, walked behind their mother’s coffin accompanied by Philip.

More than 730 members of the armed forces took part in Saturday’s funeral proceedings. But there was a limit of 30 mourners inside St George’s Chapel, under coronavirus pandemic rules.

The queen sat apart from family members at the somber but straightforward ceremony due to strict social distancing rules. But if the ceremony had been for anyone else, at her side would have been her husband of 73 years. He gave a lifetime of service to the crown.

As the Queen stood alone, the choir sang the national anthem. Two minutes later, the funeral finished, and the guests left the chapel. The prince was in his resting place, and his epic, international adventure – which began on a Greek island in 1921 – was over.

Hundreds of people lined the streets outside the castle to pay their respects to the prince. Some held Union flags and clutched flowers, while others wore custom face masks featuring the royal’s photo, witnesses said.

Hundreds of people lined the streets outside the castle to pay their respects to the prince.

“We have been inspired by his unwavering loyalty to our queen,” noted the dean of Windsor, David Conner.

In his call to prayer, he added that people were inspired by Prince Philip’s “service to the nation and the Commonwealth, by his courage, fortitude, and faith.”