Prince Philip’s coffin loaded onto Land Rover as procession gets underway

The Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral procession started to the sound of gun salutes in Windsor.

Prince Philip, who died at the age of 99 on April 9, is being laid to rest after a small ceremony at 3pm in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.

He organised many elements of his own send off, including helping design a special Land Rover which will carry his hearse.

Bands started to play music at around 2.30pm and then the coffin was loaded onto the Land Rover.

The Queen, accompanied by a lady-in-waiting, left from the Sovereign’s Entrance in the State Bentley behind the hearse while the national anthem was played.

A royal salute was given by the service detachments, the service chiefs, the pall bearers, and the Major General commanding the Household Division and his staff.

Then the procession set off in the castle grounds to the sound of a gun salute by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery.

As the funeral procession stepped off, the Band of the Grenadier Guards played Beethoven Funeral March No1 and Beethoven Funeral March No3.

The procession took around eight minutes to reach the chapel, with a gun fired every minute of the journey from the East Lawn of Windsor Castle.

The coffin was followed by senior royals, led by Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

Also in the procession were the Earl of Wessex, Duke of York, Duke of Sussex, Peter Phillips, Duke of Cambridge, Vice Admiral Tim Lawrence and the Earl of Snowdon.

Prince Harry and William were separated by their cousin amid high tensions following Harry’s bombshell Oprah interview.

However, the estranged siblings were later seen reuniting as they walked out of the chapel side by side when the service had ended.

Walking behind the Royal Family during the procession were members of Philip’s household, while the service chiefs were in front.

Watching as it passed were royal mourners including the Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Wessex and her children Viscount Severn and Lady Louise Windsor.

Zara and Mike Tindall, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank were also in attendance.

Music was played by the tri-service band in the Quadrangle of Windsor Castle before the arrival of the coffin.

The pieces played were I Vow to Thee My Country, Supreme Sacrifice, Jerusalem, Isle of Beauty and Nimrord.

The entire procession and funeral took place out of public view within the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Members of the public were asked not to attend due to the pandemic, but many mourners turned up anyway to pay their respects and lay flowers.

A topless woman was even arrested outside the grounds of the castle after running into the road shouting ‘save the planet’.

The service began with a national minute’s silence at 3pm.

The Queen, dressed in black and in a white trimmed black mask, stood alone as her husband of 73 years was lowered into the Royal Vault.

She had to sit by herself in the ceremony with her children, grandchildren and a select group of royal mourners separated due to Covid restrictions.

The service lasted around 50 minutes.

Prince Philip was remembered for his ‘unwavering loyalty’ to the Queen and as a man of ‘courage, fortitude and faith’.

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