Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal paid tribute to her father the Duke of Edinburgh today, saying he was "my teacher, my supporter and my critic" in a message following his death at the age of 99.
"You know it's going to happen but you are never really ready.
"My father has been my teacher, my supporter and my critic, but mostly it is his example of a life well lived and service freely given that I most wanted to emulate.
"His ability to treat every person as an individual in their own right with their own skills comes through all the organisations with which he was involved.
"I regard it as an honour and a privilege to have been asked to follow in his footsteps and it has been a pleasure to have kept him in touch with their activities. I know how much he meant to them, in the UK, across the Commonwealth and in the wider world.
"I would like to emphasise how much the family appreciate the messages and memories of so many people whose lives he also touched. We will miss him but he leaves a legacy which can inspire us all."
It came after Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and their daughter, Lady Louise, 17, attended a small church service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor this morning.
Following the service, the Duke of York has said the Queen has described the death of her husband the Duke of Edinburgh as "having left a huge void in her life".
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04:09 PM
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04:05 PM
Queen in private prayers for her husband
The Queen said private prayers for her beloved Duke of Edinburgh as she attended a Sunday mass in Windsor Castle.
The monarch, who is head of the Church of England, has a deep Christian faith and will be drawing on this in her time of grief.
The Queen is understood not to have attended the worship in the private chapel, where the duke's coffin remains at rest, draped in his personal standard and adorned with a wreath of flowers.
The mass was also not in St George's Chapel, which is currently closed and is where Philip's funeral will take place on Saturday.
Philip and the monarch's second son the Duke of York has told of the depth of his mother's grief, saying she described the death of her husband of 73 years as "having left a huge void in her life".
04:02 PM
Joanna Lumley: 'He liked vigour, he liked get up and go'
The Duke of Edinburgh's legacy will be helping to change the minds of young people and make them believe in themselves, Joanna Lumley has said.
The actor said she had the "great pleasure" of having sat beside him at dinners or attending events for charities he was associated with over the years.
She described him as someone who "didn't like whingers and moaners", but when it came to people who were nervous or frail he was "kind".
Lumley told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I think he liked vigour, he liked get up and go.
"He didn't like whingers and moaners, he liked people who challenged themselves.
Prince Phillip in 2012
"And then for the very humble and the very frail and the very nervous, I think he was kind and just - the whole of the Duke of Edinburgh award is to make people better, see the best of themselves, and I think he did that when talking to people as well."
Lumley had been involved in presenting Duke of Edinburgh awards to young people and recalled the "proud parents who saw their children blossoming".
She said: "I think his legacy will be how he changed the minds of young people and made them believe in themselves.
"That's a very rare and difficult thing to do and he did it in spades."
As a man with a wide range of interests, she described as "invigorating company".
She added: "Because you couldn't slop by - you couldn't just get by, you had to be on your toes, listening, listening.
"And sometimes I suppose it could be a snap remark, but it was only out of interest and impatience."
She remembered one occasion at an event when she felt Philip had subtly changed a topic of conversation out of respect for her vegetarianism.
"I was sitting next door to him, a man on his right had suddenly started to talk about hunting and shooting and fishing and things like this.
"I think Prince Philip had noticed that I was having a vegetarian meal beside him, and in some extraordinarily subtle way he turned the conversation quietly, without being rude to the man, right away from that and just talked - he was such a - he was very kind you know. I think that's quite often overlooked.
"He was very funny and very sharp, but very kind."
02:37 PM
Prince Philip's final moments were 'peaceful'
Sophie, Countess of Wessex has described the Duke of Edinburgh's final moments as "peaceful".
Following the service, the Countess of Wessex said: "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?”
Chatting after the service, Sophie Wessex spoke movingly of Prince Philip’s final moments. “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?” pic.twitter.com/hPTFAadSwN
The couple recalled some of the scrapes Philip got into while carriage driving around the Windsor estate.
Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex recalled some of the scrapes Philip got into while carriage driving around the Windsor estate.
Smiling, Sophie said Philip had been "pulled out of a few ditches here I seem to remember as well".
Laughing, Edward said: "In the early days, yes, he used to have a few problems."
Sophie added: "More recently too."
Philip took up carriage driving after being forced to retire from polo in 1971 due to a wrist injury.
He was driving competitively just two years later and would go on to teach Sophie, while Lady Louise is also a keen participant.
The sport can be dangerous and Philip had what he dubbed his own "annus horribilis" in 1994 with "no less than eight disasters".
02:13 PM
Like father, like daughter: Prince Philip and Princess Anne's bond was unrivalled
The father and daughter shared many of the same characteristics, outlook and interests which resulted in a relationship of mutual admiration, writes Brian Hoey.
Prince Philip’s relationship with his daughter was much closer than that with any of his sons. He was an affectionate father to them all but where Anne was concerned, it was unique. It is well known that Prince Charles and his father did not always see eye to eye, but it was more a case of disappointment on Philip’s part than anger. Being someone who could and would make a decision in an instant, he simply did not understand that Charles did not follow him in that respect.
The Coral Scottish National meeting at Ayr and the Dubai Duty Free Classic Trials at Newbury will both be run next Sunday rather than in their scheduled slot on Saturday as a mark of respect to the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh.
The British Horseracing Authority announced yesterday that there will be no racing on Saturday between 2.45 and 4.15 on Saturday which means both principal meetings being put back a day.
There will be no ITV coverage of any racing on Saturday but the main channel will cover both big meetings on Sunday between 12.55 and 4.00.
It also announced that the meetings at Bangor and Thirsk are likely to start early so that they are finished before 2.45 while the evening meetings at Brighton and Nottingham, while subject to some minor time adjustments, will go ahead pretty much as planned.
The first day of Newbury and Ayr will go ahead as scheduled on Friday.
01:54 PM
Commonwealth countries pay tributes to Prince Philip
Nick Squires reports:
Scott Morrison, the prime minister of Australia, attended a service at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney which included prayers for the Royal Family and a naval hymn in honour of the Duke of Edinburgh.
"On Prince Philip's many visits to Australia, we have come to know him as a man of compassion and service, personal warmth, intellectual curiosity and generous spirit," the Rev Kanishka de Silva Raffel, the dean of St Andrew’s, said at the service.
Flags were lowered to half-mast at Parliament House in Canberra, where a 41-gun salute took place on Saturday, and on Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison (C) and his wife Jenny Morrison (L) attend a special prayer service to commemorate the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney - BIANCA DE MARCHI
Across the Tasman Sea in New Zealand, a ceremony took place on Sunday in the country's capital, Wellington, featuring a 41-gun salute.
Jacinda Ardern, the prime minister, said the Prince had a strong link with the country’s military institutions as well as civilian organisations.
“It is fair to say, it will be a hugely significant loss for New Zealand, and those organisations that were supported by Prince Philip,” said the prime minister, adding that the Duke visited New Zealand 10 times.
She said a memorial would be held in New Zealand for Prince Philip after his funeral in Britain on Saturday.
01:35 PM
Prince Edward speaks of ‘dreadful shock' losing the Duke of Edinburgh
01:26 PM
Windsor Castle main entrance blocked by staff
Dominic Penna, in Windsor, reports:
The route to the Windsor Castle gates and main entrance has been blocked off by staff and stewards in the last few minutes.
Members of the public trying to access the area to add to floral tributes were told to stay away after visitor numbers swelled over lunchtime. The Long Walk pedestrian area could still be accessed along the High Street, but general access will remain blocked for the foreseeable.
“There were just too many vehicles and too many people,” one staff member said.
“It was too dangerous - we had a few near misses this morning. It’s probably going to stay like this for the rest of the week.”
People walk on the long walk towards Windsor Castle, Windsor, England, Sunday, April 11, 2021, after the announcement of the death of Britain's Prince Philip on Friday. - Frank Augstein
People can still get to the gates on foot to lay flowers via Windsor High Street and the Long Walk is operating as normal.
As a result crowds at the gates have thinned quite a lot.
12:46 PM
Prince Philip had a 'keen interest' in the Estates
The Royal Family's official Twitter account has tweeted about the Duke's involvement in the Estates.
It wrote: "The Duke worked with Estate workers, farmers & conservationists to maintain the Estates for future generations, through wildlife conservation & biodiversity initiatives. Over recent years, HRH received regular updates and took a keen interest in developments on the Estates."
For much of his married life, The Duke of Edinburgh was closely involved in the management of The Queen’s Private Estates: Sandringham and Balmoral, as well as Windsor Great and Home Parks.
Prince Andrew says family is going through an 'enormous change'
The Duke of York said: "I know there is a huge amount of support not just for her (the Queen) but for everybody as we go through this enormous change."
Prince Andrew, who was joined at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, by the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their daughter Lady Louise Windsor for a Sunday service, said they had joined in prayers at the private chapel ahead of the funeral.
12:25 PM
Prince Edward says father's death is 'a dreadful shock'
The Earl of Wessex said: “You're very kind. Yes, it's, it's been a bit of a bit of a shock. However much one tries to prepare oneself for something like this, it's still a dreadful shock.
“And we're sort of trying to come to terms of that. And it's very, very sad. But I have to say that the extraordinary tributes and the memories that everybody has had and been willing to share has been so fantastic.
“And it just goes to show, he might have been our father, grandfather, father in law but he meant so much to so many other people. And just being here this morning with everybody from Windsor Great Park, and he was a ranger here for a few more years than I think any other Ranger.
“And, you know, it means so much to so many people here. And it's the same for those who lived and worked at Balmoral and Sandringham. You know, for all those past and present, it means a huge, huge amount, very personal. They all have their own personal memories and stories and our hearts go out to them as well.”
The Earl and Countess of Wessex, with their daughter Lady Louise Windsor, talk to Cannon Martin Poll, Domestic Chaplin to Her Majesty The Queen, - Steve Parsons
12:23 PM
The Queen is 'thinking of others before herself'
The Queen is "thinking of others before herself", the Countess of Wessex said as she left a church service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor.
The Earl of Wessex added: "As always. But bearing up, and again it's just that wave of affection for him (the Duke of Edinburgh) and just those lovely stories.
"They just mean so much and the tributes have been just fantastic. That's really, really important and we really do appreciate it."
12:16 PM
Royal family attend church service
The Earl and Countess of Wessex, with their daughter Lady Louise Windsor, attend the Sunday service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor - Steve Parsons The Duke of York attends the Sunday service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, - Steve Parsons The Earl and Countess of Wessex, with their daughter Lady Louise Windsor, during a television interview at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, Windsor - Steve Parsons
12:11 PM
'We're rallying round the Queen'
The Duke of York said: "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 that I would put it.
"She described it as having left a huge void in her life but we, the family, the ones that are close, are rallying round to make sure that we're there to support her."
12:09 PM
'We've lost the grandfather of the nation,' says Prince Andrew
Speaking after the Sunday service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, Prince Andrew continued: "He was a remarkable man. I loved him as a father, he was so calm. If you had a problem, he would think about it. And that's the great thing, that I always think about, is that there was always somebody you could go to, and he would always listen.
"So it's great loss. I think another way I would put it is that we've lost almost the grandfather of the nation. And I feel very sorry and supportive of my mother who was feeling it, probably more than everybody else."
12:05 PM
Prince Andrew says his father's death is a 'terrible loss'
Prince Andrew said his father's death is a "terrible loss".
He added: "My father said to me on the telephone a few months ago that we were all in the same boat - and we must always remember that.
"But occasionally, we in the family are asked to stand up and show compassion and leadership.
"Unfortunately, with my father's death, it has brought it home to me, not just our loss, but actually the loss that everybody else has felt for so many people who've died, and lost loved ones, during the pandemic.
"So, we are all in the same boat, slightly different circumstances because he didn't die from Covid. We're all feeling a great sense of loss."
11:58 AM
The Queen has described the death of her husband as 'having left a huge void in her life', says Prince Andrew
The Duke of York has said the Queen has described the death of her husband the Duke of Edinburgh as "having left a huge void in her life".
11:48 AM
Royal family attend church service
Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, his wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and their daughter, Lady Louise, 17, attended a small church service this morning at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor.
They chatted to members of the congregation as well as people who work on the Windsor estate to thank them for their support particularly over the last few days, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.
11:38 AM
Who are the 30 guests likely to attend Prince Philip's funeral?
The Duke of Edinburgh's funeral at St George’s Chapel, Windsor on Saturday, April 17 will be like no royal funeral before.
The pandemic has meant that ceremony will be a relatively small affair.
Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the funeral is to adhere to current Covid-19 guidelines that stipulate just 30 mourners are allowed to attend.
As such, the guest list is tighter than previous funerals of royal family members.
A member of the royal household staff started laying flowers inside a courtyard at Windsor Castle.
The woman placed several bouquets at the centre of the lawn within the castle grounds, which is just beyond the entrance, guarded by four armed police officers, and can be seen from Castle Hill road.
Members of the public also continued laying flowers at a separate entrance near the Long Walk, for a third day, although this has been discouraged due to coronavirus restrictions, and bouquets have been cleared away each night.
A captain's cap with message of condolence on flowers left outside of Windsor Castle on April 11, 2021 in Windsor, England
10:25 AM
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said bereavement is a 'blow' for any family
Addressing the congregation at a remembrance service at Canterbury Cathedral and those listening online, he said: "For the royal family, as for every other, no words can reach into the depth of sorrow that goes into bereavement.
"We all know that it is not simply a factor of age or familiarity. It is not obliterated by the reality of a very long life remarkably led, nor is the predictability of death's arrival a softening of the blow.
"Loss is loss."
The archbishop urged prayers for the family and others who are grieving.
He said: "Our lives are not completed before death, but their eternity is prepared. So we can indeed pray that the Duke of Edinburgh may rest in peace and rise in glory.
"We may pray for comfort. We may pray and offer love for all who find that a great life leaves a very great gap.
"For the royal family and the millions who have themselves suffered loss, we can know that the presence of Christ will bring peace, and the light of Christ will shine strongly, and it is in that light that we can strengthen one another with eternal hope."
10:24 AM
Prince Philip had a 'remarkable willingness' to 'take the hand he was dealt in life', says Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby
The Duke of Edinburgh had a "remarkable willingness" to "take the hand he was dealt in life", Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said.
Speaking at a remembrance service on Sunday at Canterbury Cathedral, he said: "It is God who creates, God who calls, and God who sends.
"For His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, there was a willingness, a remarkable willingness, to take the hand he was dealt in life, and straightforwardly to follow its call.
"To search its meaning, to go out and on as sent, to inquire and think, to trust and to pray."
10:21 AM
'Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving'
The BBC's Simon Jones is at the remembrance service and has tweeted an image of the order of service.
The socially distanced event is ticketed for 120 people.
Prince Philip travelled to Ireland in 2011 'on a mission to heal history', says former president Mary McAleese
The Duke of Edinburgh travelled to Ireland in 2011 "on a mission to heal history", former president Mary McAleese has said.
Belfast-born Mrs McAleese was president of the Republic when Prince Philip accompanied Queen Elizabeth on the historic visit, the first by a British monarch to the country in 100 years.
It was seen as a momentous step on the path to reconciliation after the Good Friday Agreement.
Ms McAleese said the duke was not just there to support the Queen, but to further the cause of peace between the two islands.
She said: "You can understand that security was very high, concerns were high. So he was there, as she has described in the past as her rock, but he was also there as a character in his own right.
"A man who had come on a mission, as she had come, both of them had come on this mission in their own right to try and heal history, to ensure that for the future these two neighbouring islands would be characterised by good neighbourliness.
"He wasn't just there as her company, if you like, her inevitable company, he was also there making a statement."
10:07 AM
Churches hold remembrance services
The Eucharist at Canterbury Cathedral is one of many services being held across the country today in memory of the Duke of Edinburgh.
Members of the public have been asked not to attempt to attend or participate in any of the events that make up the funeral on Saturday.
Instead, many mourners will watch services and prayers online today.
09:57 AM
Service of remembrance at Canterbury Cathedral has begun
A remembrance service led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, for the Duke of Edinburgh is being held in Canterbury Cathedral.
On the second Sunday of Easter, Mr Welby is to give thanks to Prince Philip for his lifetime of service and offer prayers to Her Majesty, the Queen.
In his sermon, he is likely to give the same message that he did last night from the chapel at Lambeth Palace. The service is available online.
09:49 AM
'His faith was so strong', says Dr John Sentamu
Dr John Sentamu said the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen's marriage was so strong because they were "so deeply rooted in Jesus Christ". Speaking to The Andrew Marr Show, he said he and the duke first discussed Christianity when Philip was worried about his children and their marriages.
The former archbishop of York said: "I said, 'well, your royal highness, you are a family like any other family, and every family goes through good times and bad times - the important thing for me is that you should realise that if people are married they are not just a couple, there is a third and that's Jesus Christ, and they should begin to go to Jesus Christ'.
"He said, 'Of course, the Queen and I are so strong in Jesus Christ'.
"There was this unbelievable depth of his rootedness, because he was so rooted in Christ, he didn't have any problem in relating to people about their faith or people who didn't believe at all.
"His faith was so strong, rooted in Christ, rooted in reality, rooted in his family, that he could be a free person. I have not met a couple that are so free - Her Majesty is exactly the same."
09:46 AM
'Friction' between royal family and Prince Harry 'better ended as speedily as possible', says Sir John Major
The former prime minister was asked about comments by Cardinal Vincent Nichols who said: "Many a family gather and get over tension and broken relationships at the time of a funeral, something very profound unites them all again - that would be true of this family, I am sure."
Asked if he agreed with the remarks, Sir John told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I'm sure he is right, I hope he's right, I believe he is right and I certainly hope so.
"The friction that we are told has arisen is a friction better ended as speedily as possible, and a shared emotion, a shared grief, at the present time because of the death of their father, their grandfather, I think is an ideal opportunity.
"I hope very much that it is possible to mend any rifts that may exist."
09:42 AM
Duke never wanted 'to be let off' in difficult discussions, says former archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu
Former archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu has said the Duke of Edinburgh never wanted "to be let off" in difficult discussions.
Dr Sentamu, who once described Philip as his "sparring partner", told The Andrew Marr Show "there were no conversations that were off limits".
"Whenever I met him we would get into a conversation - (about) something that he had been thinking about - and then he would also give a very robust reply," Dr Sentamu said.
He recalled meeting Philip at the conclusion of the inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence.
"I met him at Buckingham Palace and he comes and ask me about how it all was and he said, 'you must have had a very tough time listening to evidence was really was appalling', and then we had a conversation of about three or four minutes," Dr Sentamu said.
"There were areas we disagreed about but he loves a very good conversation and he doesn't want you to let him off or for you to be let off."
09:03 AM
Prince Harry's title in order of service in question
As they are not working members of the Royal Family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex no longer use their HRH titles, but still retain them.
This has thrown up the question of if Prince Harry will be styled without his HRH.
Instead, he would be referred to solely as "the Duke of Sussex" in the order of service for his grandfather's funeral.
The final decision will be made by the Queen.
Prince Harry and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh attend the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final match between New Zealand and Australia at Twickenham Stadium on October 31, 2015 in London, England - Max Mumby/Indigo
08:41 AM
Floral tributes outside Windsor Castle and St. George's Chapel
Floral tributes are continuing to appear outside Windsor Castle and St. George's Chapel for the third day in a row, Dominic Penna reports.
Royal staff say that they are not aware of any church services taking place this morning.
So far during the pandemic, church services in Windsor have been on a rotational basis between All Saints' Church, St Stephen & St Agnes Church and Windsor Parish Church.
Worship has taken place via Zoom, with only a limited number of the congregation receiving Holy Communion each week at one of the three churches.
A message of condolence on flowers left outside of Windsor Castle on April 11, 2021 in Windsor, England - Chris Jackson
08:27 AM
From EastEnders to Kylie Minogue: Prince Philip's 10 funniest celebrity encounters
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during their visit, November 28 2001, to Elstree Studios where the famous British soap opera EastEnders is filmed - Fiona Hanson
He met thousands of entertainers across the world, including Ronan Keating, Peter Kay, Bruce Forsyth, One Direction, Katherine Jenkins, Alicia Keys, Neil Diamond, Hear’Say and S Club 7, and Prince Philip certainly wasn’t afraid to upset the rich and famous – as Sir Elton John and Sir Tom Jones can testify.
In all these encounters, two stars seemed to come off well: American actor Tom Cruise and Australian singer Kylie Minogue.
Here are some celebrities who experienced more harm than charm.
08:08 AM
The World War II hero: How Prince Philip's quick thinking saved his ship from German bombers off Sicily
31st July 1947: Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, husband of Princess Elizabeth resumes his attendance at the Royal Naval Officers' School at Kingsmoor in Hawthorn, Wiltshire. - PNA Rota/Hulton Royals Collection
During the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily, the 22-year-old, then a first lieutenant in the Royal Navy, foiled a Luftwaffe bomber that looked almost certain to destroy his ship.
But the story of how the Duke of Edinburgh saved the ship only emerged in recent years when veterans began to talk publicly about the incident.
He was second-in-command of the destroyer HMS Wallace during the Allied landings in Sicily in July 1943 when the ship came under repeated attack. Undaunted, he quickly devised a plan to throw a smoking wooden raft overboard to create the illusion of debris on fire in the water as a decoy, successfully distracting the enemy.
The English Football League announced all its games scheduled for 3pm on Saturday would be rescheduled, while the Premier League was in talks with Government over its match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United.
Premiership Rugby confirmed it was also planning to move at least three of its four fixtures that day.
Philip Mountbatten, prior to his marriage to Princess Elizabeth, batting at the nets during cricket practice while in the Royal Navy, July 31st 1947 - Douglas Miller
Most, if not all, of the games were expected to be played on the same day but kick off earlier or later than previously scheduled.
An EFL spokesperson said: “As a mark of respect, EFL matches scheduled for 3pm on Saturday 17 April will be moved to avoid a clash with the funeral of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
“The EFL will now work with its clubs to determine at what time the matches will be played, giving consideration to the timing of the service. An announcement will follow in due course.”
07:37 AM
MPs back plan to commemorate Duke of Edinburgh with London statue
The Duke of Edinburgh is set to be commemorated with a statue on The Mall after the idea received cross-party backing on Saturday night.
Downing Street made it clear that it backed the idea of a permanent monument to Prince Philip.
One source said it was an idea that Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, was likely to support.
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, also supported the plan for a statue, which is likely to cost millions and will be funded at least in part by an appeal for donations.
Elizabeth and Philip: was theirs the last truly royal marriage?
The Queen’s marriage to the man whom her father created Duke of Edinburgh and a Royal Highness on the eve of their wedding, is the last example in British history of a royal royal marriage, writes Matthew Dennison.
None of the couple’s children or grandchildren has married fellow royals and it seems certain that future royal spouses will be commoners.
HRH Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, on the occasion of their engagement at Buckingham Palace in London - Fox Photos
HMY Royal Yacht Britannia: a lasting memorial to the Duke of Edinburgh?
Boris Johnson is under pressure to sanction the construction of a £190 million successor to HMY Royal Yacht Britannia as a lasting memorial to the Duke of Edinburgh.
MPs, Cabinet ministers, businessmen and a former captain of Britannia are backing calls for the successor to be named HMY The Duke of Edinburgh as a sister vessel to aircraft carriers Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales.
One Cabinet minister said the yacht could form a major of the Prime Minister's ambitious ship-building programme, set out last autumn.
Prince Philip's funeral plans: coffin will be carried in a modified Land Rover he designed himself
The Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin will be carried through the grounds of Windsor Castle in a modified Land Rover that he designed for the occasion himself.
The funeral will take place next Saturday at 3pm, following a short procession in which the Prince of Wales and senior members of the Royal family will follow the coffin on foot as it is driven to St George’s Chapel.
The Queen will not take part in the procession.
It will be a royal funeral like no other, with Royals adhering to Covid-19 guidelines by wearing masks throughout the ceremony and maintaining social distancing.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed that it would not be a state occasion, in accordance with the Duke’s wishes, but a ceremonial royal funeral in line with the Queen Mother’s funeral in 2002.
'Prince Philip wasn't just a great man, but a symbol of the nation'
The end of such a life, precisely because it has been a mark of continuity, seems to herald the end of an era, says Robert Tombs.
The spontaneous reaction of so many to the death of the Duke of Edinburgh is of sadness at the ending of a remarkable life. But it shows something more: that people feel the significance of this moment in the life of the nation, and many wish to make it in some way part of their own lives, as they would the death of a friend or relative.
How turbulence and tragedy marked Prince Philip's childhood
Although he was married for more than 70 years to the most enduringly famous woman in the world, Prince Philip’s own origins remained strangely shrouded in obscurity. “I don’t think anybody thinks I had a father,” he remarked ruefully in the 1970s.
Born in Corfu on June 10, 1921, in the shadow of the First World War and Russian revolution, Philip’s was a childhood characterised by change.
By the time he was 18 months old, the family – his parents Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg, and four older sisters Margarita, Theodora, Cecile, Sophie – had been forced to flee Greece after a coup. Philip’s uncle, King George V, ordered a Royal Navy ship to collect them and facilitated their relocation to the outskirts of Paris, at St-Cloud, where they lived on handouts from relations. The young prince, sixth in line to the Greek throne, was famously carried to safety in a cot made from an orange box.
Prince Philip (left) in costume for a production of 'Macbeth' at his school, Gordonstoun in Scotland - Hulton Royals Collection
05:23 AM
Elizabeth and Philip: was theirs the last truly royal marriage?
The Queen’s marriage to the man whom her father created Duke of Edinburgh and a Royal Highness on the eve of their wedding, is the last example in British history of a royal, royal marriage.
None of the couple’s children or grandchildren has married fellow royals and it seems certain that future royal spouses will be commoners.
Prince Philip had 'a righteous impatience', says Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, giving a reflection from the chapel at Lambeth Palace on Saturday evening, said Prince Philip had been someone with a "deep and genuine sense of service and humility".
He said: "It wasn't 'me, me, me'. It was about the world, about those he served, and in doing that his own role was more and more significant.
"He had a righteous impatience. He would not accept the status quo. If things were not right, he would say so and say so quickly, and clearly, and often bluntly.
"Prince Philip, also though, had a deep and genuine sense of service and humility."
He described him as someone who "knew the talents he had and what he could bring, and he brought them 100 per cent, at full throttle, right through his life".
03:29 AM
Public support helping Royal family through 'particularly sad time'
The Royal family are being helped through this "particularly sad time" by the public outpouring of support following the death of the "much-loved" Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales has said.
Speaking from his Gloucestershire home of Highgrove, Prince Charles said: "As you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously," and said Philip would be "deeply touched" by the people around the world sharing "our loss and our sorrow".
"My dear Papa was a very special person who I think above all else would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him, and from that point of view we are, my family, deeply grateful for all that," Prince Charles said. "It will sustain us in this particular loss and at this particularly sad time."
The heavily pregnant Duchess of Sussex will not attend the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral on the advice of her doctors, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed on Saturday, although Prince Harry is hoping to arrive back in the UK as early as Sunday.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin will be carried through the grounds of Windsor Castle in a modified Land Rover that he designed for the occasion himself.
Former New York Yankees left-hander Fritz Peterson died at the age of 82. He is probably best known exchanging wives with teammate Mike Kekich in the 1970s.
Fantasy baseball analyst Andy Behrens offers up a series of pickups to assist every manager, starting with a duo of Rockies ahead of a Colorado homestand.
Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman give their early season assessment of all thirty MLB teams at the three week mark, as well as discuss the long-awaited debut of Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter.
Missed opportunities and crucial mistakes in fights often haunt fighters long after the moment has passed. For some fighters, those regrets can live on in their memories for years.
