Queen Elizabeth II laid her husband Prince Philip to rest on April 17th in an intimate
ceremony at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. Married for 73 years, the two fell
fast for each other as teenagers, had a very-royal wedding in 1947 at Westminster Abbey, and
welcomed four children together. A beautiful life well-lived, both Elizabeth and Philip
planned every step of their life together — and that includes their eventual funerals.
As The Telegraph reports, Prince Philip planned his funeral 18 years in advance with "military
precision," while Elizabeth's future funeral is set to be quite different from her husband's.
According to The Telegraph, Prince Philip "left nothing to chance" when it came to his
funeral, planning every step of the ceremony almost two decades prior. Per the outlet,
Philip outlined how his coffin would be taken from Windsor Castle and eventually lowered
into Buckingham Palace's Royal Vault, paying tribute to his naval career. In fact, Philip
reportedly requested the naval call Action Stations to ring as his body was lowered — a
touching moment, indeed.
The prince also planned for his body to be transported in a custom-built Land Rover.
In charge of every detail, Philip decided to have the vehicle repainted military green
to pay homage to his time with the Armed Forces.
Even through pandemic restrictions, Queen Elizabeth II was able to sign off on most
of his requests, although she had to make "difficult decisions" regarding the guest
list to keep within the 30-person limit.
However, Elizabeth is less likely to be able to put such personal touches on her own eventual
funeral. The queen's future funeral will be more about the state. And yes, it is exactly
as meticulously planned and detailed as you could expect for the queen — even more than
Philip's.
According to Town and Country, the queen's death is referred to as "Operation London
Bridge," and has been planned since the 1960s with several yearly meetings to cement every
detail. Per The Guardian, the days after her death will be "10 days of sorrow and spectacle,"
culminating in her funeral on the 10th day. While Prince Philip was able to make his funeral
personal, the queen's service will be more about her beloved country, and crucially include
Prince Charles' succession.
According to The Guardian, after the queen's death, both houses of parliament will be recalled,
people will leave work, and the following nine days will include a diplomatic assembly,
ritual processions, and even a tour by the new king. If Queen Elizabeth II dies abroad,
the Royal Flight jet will rush over with the coffin — in fact, a "first call coffin"
is ready at all times. If she dies in her summer home of Balmoral, she will lie in Edinburgh
until being taken aboard the Royal Train all across the country as crowds wait for her
to pass.
No matter where the queen dies, she will eventually return to the throne room in Buckingham Palace
until her funeral. As she is placed next to an altar, her successor will be sworn in as
king the day after her death in the Accession Council. Afterwards, officials will begin
setting up the funeral and 10,000 invitations for guests will be sent out.
Queen Elizabeth II's funeral was planned by Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony Mather, not herself,
and will be a precise, detail-oriented affair to commemorate her service. As flags fly at
half-mast and bells across the country ring, her first-born son, Prince Charles, will become
king, and preparations for the funeral will begin. The queen is set to be taken from Buckingham
Palace to Westminster Hall, where she will lie for four days ahead of the funeral. This
procession will involve thousands of people and a military parade, which may even include
her corgis.
Ahead of the funeral, half a million mourners will come from all over the country to pay
their respects, and the RAF, Army and Royal Navy will all take part. On the day of the
queen's future funeral, most people will take the day off work, and the stock market will
not open. Queen Elizabeth II will be taken to the Abbey in the morning, where her official
funeral will be held, and 2,000 guests will wait for her inside.
The queen's coffin will be placed by pallbearers on the same gun carriage used for her father
King George VI's funeral, and will have an archbishop and prayers. The procession will
then go on to Windsor Castle, where the royal household will wait for her, and she will
finally be buried in the Royal Vault. At that time, Prince Philip's casket will be relocated
so he can rest peacefully next to his beloved wife, the queen, for all eternity.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more List videos about The Royal
Family are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don’t miss
a single one.