Remembering The Duke: Tribute To Prince Philip Unveiled In London's Piccadilly Circus As Revised Funeral Plans Move Forward
A royal remembrance.
London's renowned landmark, Piccadilly Circus, unveiled a giant advertising billboard in tribute to the late Prince Philip on the evening of Friday, April 9. Buckingham Palace previously confirmed that the 99-year-old Duke of Edinburgh passed away peacefully earlier that morning at Windsor Castle.
Just hours after the royal's death, funeral plans already seem to be in motion. "Operation Forth Bridge" — a.k.a. the plan when Philip passed away — has been in the works for years. According to the College of Arms, Philip will not have a state funeral, and he will not lie in state.
State funerals are usually only granted to ruling sovereigns, but Philip also requested to not partake in the tradition, The Royal Observer reported. Philip's body instead will lie at rest in Windsor Castle before his funeral, which will be at St George's Chapel.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, "the funeral arrangements have been revised in view of the prevailing circumstances arising from the COVID-19 pandemic," the College of Arms said in a statement Friday.
"It is regretfully requested that members of the public do not attempt to attend or participate in any of the events that make up the funeral," College of Arms added in their statement.
The U.K. is currently under lockdown and as it stands now, remain that way through June 21. Under official guidelines, a maximum number of 30 people are allowed to attend funerals in the U.K., and they must practice social distancing at the service if they do not live in the same household — leaving many curious as to who will be granted access.
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After stepping down from royal life last March, ahead of a big move to California, it is still unclear if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be able to travel abroad to attend Prince Philip’s funeral. Government guidelines state that it is illegal to travel abroad from the U.K. However, in England, you can obtain a permitted reason to travel and complete the declaration form.
“If you’re traveling to England you must either quarantine in the place you’re staying or in a managed quarantine hotel for 10 days because of coronavirus (COVID-19). What you need to do depends on where you travel in the 10 days before you arrive in England,” states the Gov.uk site. “You must also get two coronavirus tests after you arrive in England. You’ll need to book these before you travel.”
The news of the beloved royal's death comes after the he was released from the hospital last month following a heart procedure related to a pre-existing condition.
Queen Elizabeth II's husband was first admitted to King Edward VII’s Hospital on February 16 as "a precautionary measure," when he felt unwell before he had the heart procedure in St. Bartholomew’s and returned to King Edward VII’s. At the time, he remained "in hospital for treatment, rest and recuperation for a number of days," Buckingham Palace announced earlier this month.
Queen Elizabeth II met Philip in 1934 when she was just 13 years old, and the pair tied the knot in 1947, five years before she became Queen; he was the longest-serving royal consort in history. They share children Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward together. The royal couple also has eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
He retired from royal duties in 2017 at the age of 96, but still made the occasional public appearance.
