Prince Philip’s death three years ago not only marked the end of an extraordinary life of public service – but it also upended hundreds of years of royal tradition

It’s three years to the day since Prince Philip was laid to rest at Windsor Castle.

The Duke – the late Queen’s husband of 74 years and the longest-serving royal consort in history, died of old age at the age of 99 on 9 April. His funeral service took place eight days later at St George’s Chapel.

At the time of his passing, Britain was in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. It not only affected almost every aspect of his funeral arrangements but upended the usual royal protocols.

It’s traditional for notices about births and deaths within the Royal Family to be posted at the gates of Buckingham Palace for 24 hours. But when Prince Philip died, the sign was taken down within an hour to prevent crowds from gathering amid distancing restrictions.

A sign announcing the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, who has died at the age of 99, being placed on the gates of Buckingham Palace, London

The palace also asked that well-wishers refrain from laying flowers at the gates, as is customary following deaths within the Royal Family. Mourners reportedly managed to leave about 100 bouquets, as mounted police reminded visitors to stay at least six feet apart from one another.

His funeral was also much smaller than previous royal burials. The slimmed down contingent of mourners numbered 30, including his heartbroken wife, four children, eight grandchildren and other close family members and friends. They came together for a hour-long ceremony full of heartfelt emotion at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021.

Philip himself had been highly involved in planning the funeral, which took place entirely within the castle grounds. His wishes included a customised Land Rover hearse and the music, which included the Royal Navy Hymn, in a nod to his military roots.

In keeping with guidance at the time, all attendees, including the late Queen, wore face masks inside St. George’s Chapel. One of the most heartbreaking images from the funeral showed the monarch sitting alone in the pews due to social distancing.

The Queen sitting alone in the pews during the funeral for her husband Prince Philip during the pandemic
The Queen sat alone in the pews as she said goodbye to her beloved husband ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
“In some ways, I’m glad we didn’t see that moment. And when you see the photograph, it’s much worse somehow,” Princess Anne later said in an interview with CBC. “And you saw more of that than we did, [since we were] accompanying the coffin.”

Sophie Wessex later spoke about Philip’s passing while attending a Windsor church service, telling a congregation member: “It was right for him. It was so gentle. It was just like somebody took him by the hand and off he went. Very, very peaceful, and that’s all you want for somebody, isn’t it? I think it’s so much easier for the person that goes than for people that are left behind.”

Prince Andrew, meanwhile, gave a first glimpse at the Queen’s deep personal sorrow. “The Queen, as you would expect, is an incredibly stoic person. She described his passing as a miracle and she’s contemplating, I think, is the way I would put it. She described it as having left a huge void in her life,” Andrew said.

He added it was a “terrible loss”, describing Philip as “almost the grandfather of the nation”. His father’s death had “brought it home to me, not just our loss, but actually the loss that everybody else has felt, for so many people who have died and lost loved ones during the pandemic,” he said.