Category Archives: British Royals

Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London in London, England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula; Credit – Von Samuel Taylor Geer – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36712795

The Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula, which this writer has visited, is in the Inner Ward of the Tower of London in London, England. St. Peter ad Vincula is Latin for St. Peter in chains and refers to St. Peter being chained and imprisoned in Jerusalem by King Herod Agrippa. St. Peter ad Vincula is a royal peculiar which means it is under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch. It is also a chapel royal, an establishment in the royal household serving the spiritual needs of the sovereign.

The Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula was in existence before the 12th-century and has been demolished and rebuilt a few times. The original chapel was built outside the walls of the Tower of London so that the king could be seen worshiping in public. The king also had a private chapel, the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist within the White Tower in the Tower of London. Eventually, the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula was rebuilt within the walls of the Tower of London and became the place of worship for the inhabitants of the Tower. In 1286, King Edward I, demolished the entire chapel and rebuilt it. Edward I’s chapel was severely damaged by a fire in 1512. The current chapel, built from 1519 – 1520, during the reign of King Henry VIII, replaced the fire-damaged chapel, and it remains a place of worship for the approximately 150 residents who live at the Tower of London.

During the 19th-century, there were extensive renovations of the interior of the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula. In particular, the floor was badly damaged and had started to collapse because of the number of burials during the 16th-century. Many of the remains that were found were moved to the newly-built crypt. The remains of Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, and others were identified and markers on the new floor were installed indicating their burial places. In 2014, there were further renovations. New furniture and lighting were installed, the crypt was improved, and office space and facilities were provided for the choir of the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula.

19th-century marker in the floor identifying the burial place of Anne Boleyn; Credit – Von AloeVera95 – Fotografia scattata personalmente, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48304717

Although there are other burials at the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, it is most associated with the burials of executed people, and visitors cannot help but be reminded of those burials walking over the 19th-century burial markers on the floor and seeing the brass plate listing those “buried in this chapel between” 1534 and 1747 on a chapel wall. Historian Thomas Babington Macaulay wrote of the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula in his 1848 History of England:

“In truth there is no sadder spot on the earth than that little cemetery. Death is there associated, not, as in Westminster Abbey and Saint Paul’s, with genius and virtue, with public veneration and with imperishable renown; not, as in our humblest churches and churchyards, with everything that is most endearing in social and domestic charities; but with whatever is darkest in human nature and in human destiny, with the savage triumph of implacable enemies, with the inconstancy, the ingratitude, the cowardice of friends, with all the miseries of fallen greatness and of blighted fame.”

Site of the scaffold at Tower Hill; Credit – By Bryan MacKinnon – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11456738

The Tower of London had two sites for executions. Tower Hill is outside the walls of the Tower of London, on high ground just north of the Tower of London moat, where public executions of high-profile traitors and criminals were often carried out. Today there is a memorial at the site of the scaffold which can be seen in the photo below.

Credit – By Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10687427

Site of the scaffold on Tower Green; Credit – Wikipedia

Tower Green is an open space located near the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula where Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey, and several other British nobles were executed as a privilege, to maintain their privacy. In 2006, a new permanent memorial was unveiled on Tower Green to remember all those executed at the Tower of London. Designed by British artist Brian Catling. The memorial has a glass-sculpted pillow at its center. The larger circle of dark stone is engraved with a poem written by the artist and the glass circle is engraved with the names of those executed in front of the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula on Tower Green.

Execution block and axe at an exhibit in the Tower of London; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Those executed either at Tower Hill or Tower Green and buried at the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula:

  • Sir Thomas Arundell of Wardour Castle (circa 1502  -February 26, 1552), beheaded on Tower Hill for conspiring to overthrow the government and murder John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, Lord Protector
  • Christopher Blount (1556 – March 18, 1601), beheaded on Tower Hill for high treason for participating in the rebellion of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I
  • Anne Boleyn (circa 1501- May 19, 1536), second wife of King Henry VIII, beheaded on Tower Green within the Tower of London on charges of adultery, incest, and high treason, some historians think her fall and execution were engineered by Thomas Cromwell
  • George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford (1504 – May 17, 1536), brother of Anne Boleyn, beheaded on Tower Hill on charges of incest with his sister and high treason with four other men who were charged with adultery with Anne Boleyn and treason
  • Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford (circa 1505 – February 13, 1542), wife of George Boleyn, lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine Howard, fifth wife of King Henry VIII, beheaded for treason on Tower Green within the Tower of London on charges of treason for arranging meetings between Queen Catherine Howard and her lover Thomas Culpeper
  • William Boyd, 4th Earl of Kilmarnock (1705 – August 18, 1746), Scottish peer who joined the 1745 Jacobite Rising, was captured at the Battle of Culloden, beheaded at Tower Hill for treason
  • Thomas Cromwell (circa 1485 – July 28, 1540), chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534-1540, beheaded on Tower Hill on charges of treason and heresy
  • Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1565 – February 25, 1601), a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, beheaded on Tower Green on charges of high treason for an unsuccessful rebellion to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I
  • Lord Guildford Dudley (circa 1535 – February 12, 1554), son of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland and husband of Lady Jane Grey, beheaded at Tower Hill on charges of high treason for his probably unwilling participation in his father’s scheme to put his wife Lady Jane Grey on the English throne
  • John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland (1504 – August 22, 1553), father of Lord Guildford Dudley and father-in-law of Lady Jane Grey, beheaded on Tower Hill on charges of high treason for his scheme to put his daughter-in-law Lady Jane Grey on the English throne
  • Arthur Elphinstone, 6th Lord Balmerino (1688 – 18 August 1746), Scottish peer who joined the 1745 Jacobite Rising, was captured at the Battle of Culloden, beheaded at Tower Hill for treason
  • Cardinal John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester (1469 – June 22, 1535), beheaded at Tower Hill by order of Henry VIII during the English Reformation for refusing to accept him as the supreme head of the Church of England, honored as a martyr and saint by the Catholic Church
  • Scottish Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat (circa 1667 – April 9, 1747), Scottish peer who joined the 1745 Jacobite Rising, was captured at the Battle of Culloden, beheaded at Tower Hill for treason
  • Sir John Gates (1504 – August 22, 1553), beheaded on Tower Hill on charges of high treason for his participation in the scheme to put Lady Jane Grey on the English throne
  • Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 3rd Marquess of Dorset (1517 – February 23, 1554), father of Lady Jane Grey, beheaded at Tower Hill for his participation in the scheme to put his daughter Lady Jane Grey on the English throne
  • Lady Jane Grey (circa 1537 – February 12, 1554), the “Nine Days’ Queen”, great-granddaughter of King Henry VII, wife of Lord Guildford Dudley, and daughter-in-law of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, beheaded at Tower Green for her probably unwilling participation in her father-in-law’s scheme to put her on the English throne
  • Catherine Howard (circa 1523 – February 13, 1542), fifth wife of King Henry VIII, beheaded for treason at Tower Green on charges of high treason for committing adultery with her distant cousin Thomas Culpeper
  • Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk (1536 – June 2, 1572), beheaded at Tower Hill for treason for his participation in the Ridolfi plot with King Philip II of Spain to put Mary, Queen of Scots on the English throne and restore Catholicism in England
  • William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford (1614 – December 29, 1680), beheaded at Tower Hill for his participation in the Popish plot which was later discredited, beatified as a Catholic martyr and is known as Blessed William Howard
  • Sir Thomas More (1478 – July 6, 1535), lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist, served Henry VIII as Lord High Chancellor of England from 1529 – 1532, beheaded at Tower Hill by order of Henry VIII during the English Reformation for refusing to accept him as the supreme head of the Church of England, honored as a martyr and saint by the Catholic Church
  • Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury (1473 – May 27, 1541), daughter of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence (brother of King Edward IV and King Richard III), one of the few surviving members of the Plantagenet dynasty after the Wars of the Roses
  • James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch (1649 – July 15, 1685), illegitimate son of King Charles II and his mistress Lucy Walter, beheaded for treason at Tower Hill for the unsuccessful Monmouth Rebellion, an attempt to depose his uncle King James II
  • Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (1500 – January 22, 1552), brother King Henry VIII’s third wife Jane Seymour and Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, uncle of King Edward VI and Lord of Protector England from 1547 to 1549, beheaded at Tower Hill on charges of felony after scheming to overthrow the government of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, Lord Protector of England
  • Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley (circa 1508 – 20 March 1549) ), brother King Henry VIII’s third wife Jane Seymour and Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, uncle of King Edward VI, second husband of King Henry VIII’s sixth wife and widow Catherine Parr, beheaded on Tower Hill on charges of treason for a failed plot against his brother Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
  • Sir Ralph Vane (? – February 26, 1552), hanged at Tower Hill for conspiring to overthrow the government and murder John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, Lord Protector of England

Works Cited

  • Borman, Tracy, 2015. The Story of The Tower of London. London: Merrell Publishers Limited and Historical Royal Palaces.
  • Chapels Royal, H., 2021. Chapels Royal, H M Tower of London | The Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula. [online] Thechapelsroyalhmtoweroflondon.org.uk. Available at: <https://www.thechapelsroyalhmtoweroflondon.org.uk/welcome/the-chapel-of-st-peter-ad-vincula/> [Accessed 10 March 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Church of St Peter ad Vincula. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St_Peter_ad_Vincula> [Accessed 10 March 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Tower Hill. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Hill#Executions> [Accessed 10 March 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Tower of London. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_London> [Accessed 26 February 2021].
  • Findagrave.com. 2021. Memorials in Chapel of Saint Peter-ad-Vincula – Find A Grave. [online] Available at: <https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/658439/memorial-search?page=4#sr-173777848> [Accessed 10 March 2021].
  • Thurley, Simon, Impey, Edward and Hammond, Peter, 2005. The Tower of London – The Official Guidebook. London: Historical Royal Palaces.

Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, Tower of London in London, England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Chapel of St. John the Evangelist; Credit – Par Bernard Gagnon — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3675338

View the short video linked below to see a brief tour of the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist.

The Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, which this writer has visited, is located in the White Tower at the Tower of London in London, England. Originally a Roman Catholic chapel, it is a Church of England chapel (also known as Anglican and in the United States, Episcopal). The Chapel of St. John the Evangelist is a royal peculiar which means it is under the direct jurisdiction of the British monarch. It is also a chapel royal, an establishment in the royal household serving the spiritual needs of the British monarch. However, members of the royal family rarely attend services there but services continue to be held periodically. King Charles III received communion at the chapel on his twenty-first birthday.

The White Tower; Credit – By Bernard Gagnon – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3675330

The building of the White Tower (1077 – 1097) began in the reign of King William I (the Conqueror), the first monarch of the House of Normandy, and continued into the reign of his son King William II Rufus. The White Tower is the central tower of the Tower of London. It was the Tower of London’s strongest point militarily and also provided residential and ceremonial apartments for the king and his family. The Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, constructed with Caen stone imported from Normandy, was built in the Norman architecture style, Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the lands under their rule during the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

A 15th-century depiction of the Tower of London and its keep, the White Tower; Credit – Wikipedia

The Chapel of St. John the Evangelist dates from 1080 and was used by the royal family while in residence at the Tower of London. By the reign of King Charles II (1660 – 1685), the Tower of London was barely used as a royal residence and the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist became a storeroom for state documents. In 1857, the documents were removed to the new Public Records Office, and the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist was restored to its original splendor.

Tower of London with the White Tower in the middle; Credit – By [Duncan] from Nottingham, UK – Tower of London from the Shard, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32007084

Some royalty-related events that occurred at the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist:

  • During the Peasants Revolt of 1381, early in the reign of King Richard II, Simon Sudbury, Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor of England took refuge in the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist from an angry mob who had broken into the Tower of London along with Sir Robert Hales, Lord High Treasurer, William Appleton, the physician of John of Gaunt (a son of King Edward III), and John Legge, a royal sergeant. All four men were dragged from the chapel and taken to nearby Tower Hill where they were beheaded by the rebels.
  • Starting with the coronation of King Henry IV in 1399, the Knights of the Bath held all-night vigils in the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, on the eves of coronations. This ceremony continued to be held in the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist until the coronation of Elizabeth I in 1559, when it was moved to the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, also at the Tower of London.
  • In 1503, Elizabeth of York, wife of King Henry VII, died from childbirth complications at the Tower of London, most likely in the White Tower, after the birth of her last child who also died. After her death, the remains of Elizabeth of York temporarily rested in the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist.
  • In 1674, during the reign of King Charles II, workers doing some remodeling in the White Tower dug up a wooden box containing two small human skeletons. The bones were found buried ten feet under the staircase leading to the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist. Presuming the remains were those of King Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, the young sons of King Edward IV, known as the Princes in the Tower, who went missing in 1483, King Charles II ordered the remains placed in an urn in Westminster Abbey. In 1933, the remains were removed from the urn and examined. The conclusion was that the bones belonged to two children around the correct ages for the princes. This examination has been criticized with one of the issues being no attempt was made to determine if the remains were male or female. There has been no further examination and the remains are still in the urn in Westminster Abbey.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Borman, Tracy, 2015. The Story of The Tower of London. London: Merrell Publishers Limited and Historical Royal Palaces.
  • Camelotintl.com. 2021. Camelot International: Tower of London. [online] Available at: <http://www.camelotintl.com/tower_site/tower/white_frame.html> [Accessed 26 February 2021].
  • Chapels Royal, H., 2021. Chapels Royal, H M Tower of London | The Chapel of St John the Evangelist. [online] Thechapelsroyalhmtoweroflondon.org.uk. Available at: <https://www.thechapelsroyalhmtoweroflondon.org.uk/welcome/the-chapel-of-st-john-the-evangelist/> [Accessed 26 February 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. St John’s Chapel, London. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John%27s_Chapel,_London> [Accessed 26 February 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Tower of London. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_London> [Accessed 26 February 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. White Tower (Tower of London). [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Tower_(Tower_of_London)> [Accessed 26 February 2021].
  • Englishmonarchs.co.uk. 2021. The Chapel of St. John, White Tower .. [online] Available at: <http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/tower_london_17.html> [Accessed 26 February 2021].
  • Thurley, Simon, Impey, Edward and Hammond, Peter, 2005. The Tower of London – The Official Guidebook. London: Historical Royal Palaces.

Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, England

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Canterbury Cathedral; Credit – By Hans Musil – Picture taken and postprocessed by Hans Musil., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=362071

Originally a Roman Catholic church, Canterbury Cathedral, which this writer has visited, is a Church of England church (also known as Anglican and in the United States, Episcopal) located in Canterbury, Kent, England. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England, and the symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Together with the Church of St. Martin, the oldest church in England, and the ruins of the Abbey of St. Augustine, both also in Canterbury, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 597, Pope Gregory the Great sent Augustine, the prior of a monastery in Rome, to convert King Æthelberht and his Kingdom of Kent to Christianity. After the conversion, Canterbury, originally a Roman town, was chosen by Augustine as the center for his diocese in Kent, and an abbey and cathedral were built. Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury and is known as St. Augustine of Canterbury.

The nave of Canterbury Cathedral, looking towards the choir area from the western entrance; Credit – By Diliff  Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34509495

Augustine’s original building was extensively rebuilt and enlarged but it was destroyed by fire in 1067 and was completely rebuilt from 1070-1077 by Lanfranc, the first Norman Archbishop of Canterbury. Lanfranc had been the abbot of the Abbey of Saint-Étienne in Caen, Normandy, now in France, and the design of the new cathedral was based upon the Abbey of Saint-Étienne, using the same material, Caen stone, a light creamy-yellow limestone quarried near the city of Caen.

Embed from Getty Images 

Over the years, there has been new construction and repairs including:

  • 1098-1130: A longer quire was built over a crypt (present Western Crypt) doubling the length of the cathedral.
  • 1175-1184: In September 1174 the quire was severely damaged by fire, necessitating a major reconstruction. The Eastern Crypt, Trinity Chapel, and Corona Chapel were added.
  • 1377-1405: The nave and transepts were rebuilt.
  • 1498: The original Norman northwest tower was replaced.
  • 1660-1704: In 1642-1643, during the English Civil War, Puritans caused significant damage during their “cleansing” of the cathedral, necessitating repair and refurbishing.
  • 1834: The original Norman northwest tower was demolished and rebuilt due to structural issues.
  • 1986: A new Martyrdom Altar was installed in the northwest transept, on the site where Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170.

Early 14th-century representation of Henry and Thomas Becket; Credit – Wikipedia

The most famous event that occurred at Canterbury Cathedral was the murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1170. In 1162, King Henry II of England (reigned 1154-1189, also Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou and Maine, and Duke of Aquitaine) had named his Lord Chancellor Thomas Becket the Archbishop of Canterbury following the death of the previous Archbishop, Theobold of Bec. Henry hoped that by appointing Becket there would be a return to royal supremacy over the English Church as it had been in the days of Henry’s grandfather King Henry I. However, Becket wanted to prove that he was no mouthpiece for Henry. An argument developed between the two men over the issue of whether clergy who had committed secular crimes should be tried in secular courts or church courts. Attempts at negotiations failed and in 1164, Becket fled to France to seek sanctuary.

On June 14, 1170, Henry II’s eldest surviving son, Henry the Young King, was crowned junior King of England while Henry II was still alive, adopting the practice of the French monarchy. Roger de Pont L’Évêque, Archbishop of York, Gilbert Foliot, Bishop of London, and Josceline de Bohon, Bishop of Salisbury all participated in the crowning. This infringed on the right of Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury to crown English monarchs and drove Pope Alexander III to allow Becket to lay an interdict on England as punishment, which would forbid the public celebration of sacred rites. This threat forced Henry back to negotiations and terms were agreed to finally in July 1170.

Martyrdom Altar at the site of Becket’s murder in Canterbury Cathedral. The sculpture by Giles Blomfeld represents the four knights’ swords (two metal swords with reddened tips and their two shadows); Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Becket returned to England in early December 1170. Just when the dispute with Henry II seemed resolved, Becket excommunicated the three bishops who had participated in the crowning of Henry the Young King. Henry II’s anger at the timing of the excommunications led him to supposedly ask the question: “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” This inspired four knights to set off from Henry’s court in Normandy to Canterbury. They interviewed Becket at the Archbishop’s Palace and then Becket, fearing violence, sought refuge in Canterbury Cathedral. The murder took place while the monks were singing vespers, the evening prayer, on December 29, 1170, in what is now known as The Martyrdom in the northwest transept of the cathedral. As Becket was praying, he was hit by a violent sword stroke that sliced off the crown of his head.

The original burial site of Thomas Becket in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral; Credit – By Adam Bishop Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20480430

The monks were afraid that Becket’s body might be stolen and so his remains were placed beneath the floor of the eastern crypt of the cathedral. A stone cover was placed over the burial place with two holes where pilgrims could insert their heads and kiss the tomb. Canterbury Cathedral had always been popular with religious pilgrims and after the death of Thomas Becket, the number of pilgrims visiting the cathedral rose rapidly and continued until the Protestant Reformation. The income from pilgrims who visited Becket’s shrine, such as those portrayed in Geoffrey Chaucer‘s famous Canterbury Tales (written 1387-1400), helped to pay for the subsequent rebuilding of the cathedral. This revenue included the profits from the sale of pilgrim badges depicting Becket, his martyrdom, or his shrine.

On February 21, 1173, a little more than two years after his death, Thomas Becket was canonized as a saint by Pope Alexander III. King Henry II performed a public act of penance on July 12, 1174, at Canterbury Cathedral, when he publicly confessed his sins, then allowed each bishop present to give him five hits with a rod, and then each of the 80 monks of Canterbury Cathedral gave him three hits with a rod. Finally, Henry offered gifts to Becket’s shrine and spent a night-long vigil at Becket’s tomb.

Becket Shrine Reconstruction Credit – https://www.smithsonianmag.com/

In 1220, fifty years after his death, Becket’s remains were moved to a new gold-plated and bejeweled shrine behind the high altar in the Trinity Chapel. The shrine was supported by three pairs of pillars, placed on a raised platform with three steps. The shrine and Becket’s remains were destroyed in 1538, during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, on orders from King Henry VIII. In 2020, researchers at the Centre for the Study of Christianity and Culture at the University of York in England used computer-generated imagery to reconstruct how the shrine would have looked in 1408. Today, an empty space with a single candle represents the site of Becket’s destroyed shrine.

The site of Becket’s destroyed shrine; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Canterbury Cathedral has three royal burials: Edward, Prince of Wales known as The Black Prince, King Henry IV, and his second wife Joan of Navarre.

Tomb of Edward the Black Prince at Canterbury Cathedral; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Edward, Prince of Wales (1330-1376) was the eldest son and heir of King Edward III. Best known for his military career in the Hundred Years War, he is commonly referred to as “The Black Prince” although he was not called that in his lifetime. The first appearance of the reference occurred more than 150 years after his death. It is thought it may refer to Edward’s black shield, and/or his black armor or from his brutal reputation, particularly towards the French in the Duchy of Aquitaine.

Around 1367, Edward, Prince of Wales contracted an illness that ailed him until his death in 1376. It was believed that he contracted dysentery, which killed more medieval soldiers than battle, but it is unlikely that he could survive a nine-year battle with dysentery. Other possible diagnoses include edema, nephritis, or cirrhosis. On June 8, 1376, a week before his forty-sixth birthday, Edward died at the Palace of Westminster. Edward had requested to be buried in the crypt at Canterbury Cathedral. His request was denied because of the popular feeling that Edward should be buried in a grand tomb close to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket. Edward, Prince of Wales was buried in a tomb with a bronze effigy on the south side of the Trinity Chapel, the site of Becket’s shrine. Edward’s heraldic helmet and gauntlets were placed above his tomb. Today, replicas hang above his tomb and the originals are in a glass case nearby.

Replicas of Edward’s heraldic helmet, gauntlets, etc. above his tomb; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

King Henry IV of England (1367-1413), who usurped the throne from his first cousin King Richard II (the son of Edward, Prince of Wales above) and became the first Lancaster king, was the eldest surviving son of John of Gaunt (third surviving son of King Edward III) and his first wife Blanche of Lancaster. In his last years, Henry suffered from a disfiguring disease (possibly leprosy, syphilis, or psoriasis) and had severe attacks (possibly from epilepsy or cardiovascular disease). On March 20, 1413, while in prayer at the shrine of Edward the Confessor at Westminster Abbey, Henry IV suffered a fatal attack, possibly a stroke. He was carried to the Jerusalem Chamber, a room in the house of the abbot, where he died at age 45.

Tomb of Henry IV and his second wife Joan of Navarre at Canterbury Cathedral; Photo Credit: © Susan Flantzer

Henry IV was not buried at Westminster Abbey but instead, he had requested to be buried at Canterbury Cathedral, presumably because of an affinity towards St. Thomas Becket. His tomb is on the north side of Trinity Chapel and was directly adjacent to the shrine of  St. Thomas Becket. You can see how close Henry’s tomb was to Becket’s shrine in his tomb’s photo above. The single candle on the floor on the site of Becket’s destroyed shrine can be seen in the tomb photo. When Henry IV’s second wife Joan of Navarre died in 1437, she was buried with her husband.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Canterbury-cathedral.org. 2021. Welcome to Canterbury Cathedral. [online] Available at: <https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/> [Accessed 21 February 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Canterbury Cathedral. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canterbury_Cathedral> [Accessed 21 February 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2017. Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales (The Black Prince). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/edward-of-woodstock-prince-of-wales-the-black-prince/> [Accessed 21 February 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2016. King Henry II of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-henry-ii-of-england/> [Accessed 21 February 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2013. King Henry IV of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/march-20-daily-featured-royal-date/> [Accessed 21 February 2021].
  • Keates, Jonathan, 2001. Canterbury Cathedral: Official Cathedral Guide. Canterbury: Cathedral Enterprises Ltd.

Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, Scotland

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Credit – By Kim Traynor – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18394550

Canongate Kirk (kirk = church) is a Presbyterian (Church of Scotland) church located on the Royal Mile which runs between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland. Members of the British royal family sometimes attend services at Canongate Kirk when they are visiting Edinburgh.

Queen Elizabeth II visiting Canongate Kirk in 2019; Credit – Photo by Rob McDougall, https://www.canongatekirk.org.uk/about/history/royal-visit/

Embed from Getty Images 
Zara Phillips and her father Mark Phillips arrive at Canongate Kirk

Zara Phillips, the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, married English rugby player Mike Tindall at Canongate Kirk on July 30, 2011. The reception was held at nearby Holyrood Palace.

The doric-columned portico over the entrance; Credit – By Enric – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73018490

In 1687, James VII, King of Scots (also James II, King of England) founded the Order of the Thistle and designated the Holyrood Abbey Church, where a Presbyterian congregation worshipped, to be the chapel of the new order. James ordered that money left at the disposal of the Crown by merchant Thomas Moodie should be used to build a new building, Canongate Kirk, just down the Royal Mile from Holyrood Palace. The new building was constructed from 1688 – 1691 under the Scottish architect James Smith. Architecturally, Canongate Kirk has a Dutch-style end gable and a small doric-columned portico over the entrance.

Golden cross inside a pair of antlers; Credit – By Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK – In Defence Uploaded by tm, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27383763

The roof over the entrance is now topped with a golden cross inside a pair of antlers. Originally, the royal arms of James VII, King of Scots/James II, King of England were to be placed on the roof. However as James had been deposed and his daughter Queen Mary II and his son-in-law and nephew King William III (also William II, Prince of Orange) were then on the throne, the coat of arms of the House of Orange-Nassau was placed on the roof. William III’s outdated coat of arms was replaced in 1824 with a cross and a pair of deer antlers. Those antlers were replaced with the antlers from a stag shot by King George VI in 1949 at Balmoral. The stag head and cross are the arms of the Burgh of Canongate which was established by David I, King of Scots in 1128 at the same time he founded the nearby Holyrood Abbey (Holyrood means Holy Cross). The legend is that King David I was inspired to found Holyrood Abbey after seeing a vision of the Holy Cross when attacked by a stag in what is now Holyrood Park.

The interior of Canongate Kirk is very simple as is traditional for Presbyterian churches. The windows are clear to let in light and there have been renovations over the years. In 1950, the color scheme of part of the interior changed. The pews were painted light blue, the pulpit a darker blue, and the walls white.

The Royal Pew, marked by a representation of the Honours of Scotland; Credit – By Remi Mathis – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28465791

The front pew on the east side is the Royal Pew. On top of the back of the Royal Pew is a model of the Honours of Scotland, with representations of the crown, scepter, and sword that are displayed in the Crown Room of Edinburgh Castle.

Canongate Kirkyard; Credit – By Hansueli Krapf  This file was uploaded with Commonist. – Own work: Hansueli Krapf (User Simisa (talk · contribs)), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12666950

The Canongate Kirkyard, like other burial grounds in Edinburgh, is owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, and not Canongate Kirk. It was used for burials from the late 1680s until the mid-20th century. There are no royal burials at Canongate Kirkyard. However, there were reports that David Riccio, favorite of Mary, Queen of Scots who was murdered in her presence at Holyrood Palace in 1566, was reburied in Canongate Kirkyard. This is unlikely since he died 122 years before Canongate Kirk was established and it would have required the reburial of a Catholic in a Protestant cemetery. It is more likely that David Riccio rests under an anonymous gravestone in the cemetery at Holyrood Abbey which now lies in ruins.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Canongate Kirk. 2021. A History Of Canongate Kirk. [online] Available at: <https://www.canongatekirk.org.uk/about/history/a-guided-tour-of-canongate-kirk/> [Accessed 17 January 2021].
  • Canongate Kirk. 2021. History. [online] Available at: <https://www.canongatekirk.org.uk/about/history/> [Accessed 17 January 2021].
  • Canongate Kirk. 2021. Kirkyard. [online] Available at: <https://www.canongatekirk.org.uk/kirkyard/> [Accessed 17 January 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Canongate Kirk. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canongate_Kirk> [Accessed 17 January 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. 2021. David Riccio,  Favorite of Mary, Queen of Scots. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/david-riccio-favorite-of-mary-queen-of-scots/> [Accessed 17 January 2021].

The Laird o’ Thistle – Special Edition – A Funeral at Windsor

Out of a day of many unforgettable images, viewed by a worldwide audience, one picture has quickly come to epitomize the funeral of HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, on Saturday 17 April 2021. It is the photo of his widow, HM the Queen, sitting alone in the choir stalls of St. George’s Chapel, a tiny figure, her shoulders stooped with age and sorrow, masked (perhaps a blessing?) and wearing somber black relieved only by a stunning diamond broach that first belonged to her grandmother.

The scene set me thinking…. One of my first forays into reading books about the royals, fifty-some years ago, was Marion Crawford’s THE LITTLE PRINCESSES. Miss Crawford – the Scottish governess who cared for and companioned the princesses from the early 1930s, through WWII, and up to Elizabeth and Philip’s marriage – noted her concern at the time as to whether Princess Elizabeth should attend the Lying-in-State, and then the Windsor funeral, of King George V in 1936. Was it too much for one so young? (Not yet age 10 at the time.) It was duly decided that the princess would attend and, as one would expect of this particular princess, she proved her mettle. “Crawfie” described her as somber and pale, wearing a black coat and little velvet tam as she joined her heavily veiled mother and the royal ladies at Paddington Station for the trip to Windsor and St. George’s.

Later on Saturday, after the funeral, I decided to look for any images of Princess Elizabeth at that 1936 funeral and struck gold as it were. On YouTube, I found a clip from the British Pathe newsreel coverage of that day: YouTube: The Funeral Of His Majesty King George V (1936). If you look at the 9:00 minute mark you’ll find the coffin of George V being carried up the steps of St. George’s Chapel, followed by his sons, widow, and family. At the 9:30 mark, you will see, in the lower right of the screen, the unmistakable image of Princess Elizabeth, solemn but observant, as she and her mother join the Duke of York on the steps. A small solemn figure, dressed in black… then, and now.

The Queen is the last surviving member of the family that attended the funeral of George V. In subsequent years she has returned many times, for the burial services of her adored father, George VI; her formidable grandmother, Queen Mary; her mother-in-law, Princess Alice; her uncles, the Dukes of Windsor and Gloucester; her mother, Queen Elizabeth; her sister, Princess Margaret; and various other members of the House of Windsor, now including that of her much-beloved husband and companion of 73 years. (Among those, I’ve looked, but have not found out, whether she was also among the attendees at the particularly poignant and tearful funeral of the Duke of Kent in 1942, after his tragic death in wartime service.)

Not one to dwell on such things, snippets of memories of all those other funerals must nonetheless have passed through the Queen’s mind over the last week or so… along with thoughts of others such as Lord Mountbatten’s and Princess Diana’s, in particular. For all of those services since 1947, she had had Prince Philip at her side.

On Saturday Philip was not at her side but, in a way, he was all around her. Though down-sized and adapted due to COVID, Prince Philip’s hand shown through in every detail of the striking service that may set a new standard for royal funerals at St. George’s. Two of the pieces of music, the settings of Psalms 100 and 104, beautifully sung by the 4-person ensemble in the bare nave, were originally commissioned by Prince Philip. Liturgically and aesthetically, the whole service was perfection.

Following the service I found myself imagining the Queen calling the Prince of Wales and her new Lord Chamberlain over to her afterward and saying something to the effect of, “On Monday, start re-writing my funeral plans to be more like this. I know there will have to be the State ceremonies in London, but here at Windsor, I want something like today.”

It is inevitable that sometime in the next few years the Queen will follow those who have gone before her. That, too, must have crossed her mind, sitting there by herself on Saturday afternoon. And, with that thought, perhaps also the well-known and much-beloved prayer of John Henry Newman:

O Lord support us all the day long,
until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done.
Then in your mercy grant us a safe lodging,
and holy rest, and peace at the last,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Yours aye,
Ken Cuthbertson – The Laird o’ Thistle
April 19, 2021

Funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

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The funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh took place on Saturday, April 17, 2021, at 3:00 PM at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor England. It was a ceremonial royal funeral, the same as for Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 2002, rather than a state funeral which is usually reserved for monarchs. The funeral plans reflected The Duke of Edinburgh’s wishes for a smaller, no-fuss funeral. His wishes were made clear to the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, which is responsible for organizing the funeral. The arrangements were planned over many years, with The Duke of Edinburgh’s involvement and The Queen signed off on the funeral plans. Last-minute changes were necessary to ensure compliance with COVID-19 restrictions. After The Duke of Edinburgh’s death on April 9, 2021, at Windsor Castle, his coffin, covered with his personal standard and a wreath of flowers, rested in the Private Chapel at Windsor Castle.

The Procession from Windsor Castle to St. George’s Chapel

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The funeral service was preceded by a ceremonial procession within the grounds of Windsor Castle. The Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards moved the coffin from the Quadrangle at Windsor Castle the short distance to St. George’s Chapel. The band of the Grenadier Guards, of which The Duke of Edinburgh was Colonel for 42 years, led the procession. They were followed by the Major General’s Party, and then the Service Chiefs, reflecting The Duke of Edinburgh’s close relationship with all branches of the British military. The coffin was carried in a purpose-built Land Rover, which The Duke of Edinburgh was involved in designing.

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The Range Rover carrying The Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin

Royal Standard of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; Credit- Wikipedia

The Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin was draped with his personal flag, his royal standard, representing his Danish and Greek heritage, the Mountbatten family, and his British title.

  • Lions and hearts from the Danish coat of arms
  • The national flag of Greece
  • Black and white stripes from the Mountbatten family arms
  • The arms of the city of Edinburgh representing his title Duke of Edinburgh

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The Duke of Edinburgh’s four children, his three eldest grandsons, his son-in-law, and his nephew by marriage walked behind the coffin, in this order:

The Prince of Wales – The Princess Royal

The Duke of York – The Earl of Wessex

The Duke of Cambridge – Peter Phillips – The Duke of Sussex

David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon – Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence

Plan of Windsor Castle. Key: A: Round Tower, B: Upper Ward, Quadrangle, C: State Apartments, D: Private Apartments, E: South Wing, F: Lower Ward, G: St George’s Chapel, H: Horseshoe Cloister, K: King Henry VIII Gate, L: The Long Walk, M: Norman Gate, N: North Terrace, O: Edward III Tower, T:  Curfew Tower; Credit – Wikipedia

The procession proceeded from the Quadrangle in the Upper Ward, into the Lower Ward, and then into Horseshoe Cloister. The route of the procession was lined by representatives from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force, and The Highlanders, 4th Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland. Guns were fired at intervals of one minute by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from the East Lawn at Windsor Castle and the Curfew Tower Bell tolled during the procession.

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The National Anthem was played as the coffin arrived in Horseshoe Cloister, the area in front of the West Steps of St. George’s Chapel, where it was met by the Commonwealth Defense Advisers from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Trinidad and Tobago. The West Steps of St. George’s Chapel were lined by a Dismounted Detachment of the Household Cavalry. Reflecting The Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Navy service, a Royal Navy Piping Party was in position on the south side of the West Steps of St. George’s Chapel. When the Land Rover stopped at the foot of the West Steps, the Piping Party piped the ‘Still’ – used to call all hands to attention as a mark of respect or to order silence on any occasion.

Then the pallbearers lifted the coffin and proceeded up the West Steps, stopping on the second landing. The Royal Navy Piping Party then piped the ‘Side’ – used when distinguished visitors arrive onboard a Royal Navy ship. The coffin paused for the National Minute Silence at 3:00 PM.

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At the top of the West Steps, David Connor, Dean of Windsor and Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury received the coffin. As the doors to St. George’s Chapel closed, the Royal Navy Piping Party piped the ‘Carry On’ – used to dismiss the crew back to their duties.

Guests

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Although St. George’s Chapel can seat 800 people, due to COVID-19 restrictions, there could be only 30 guests at the funeral. Buckingham Palace said The Queen faced some very difficult decisions in selecting the guests and wanted all branches of her husband’s family to be represented. The guests, who sat socially distanced in family groups, wore masks during the funeral service and members of the Royal Family wore day dress or morning coat with medals.

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The Duke of Edinburgh’s four sisters were represented by members of the House of Baden, the House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and the House of Hesse.

  • Bernhard, Hereditary Prince of Baden: Heir to the Head of the House of Baden, great-nephew of The Duke of Edinburgh, son of Maximilian, Margrave of Baden who is the son of The Duke of Edinburgh’s sister Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark and Berthold, Margrave of Baden
  • Philipp, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg: Head of the House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, great-nephew of The Duke of Edinburgh, son of Kraft, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg who is the son of The Duke of Edinburgh’s sister Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark and Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
    Prince Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse: Head of the House of Hesse, into which The Duke of Edinburgh’s sisters Princess Cecile of Greece and Denmark and Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark married. Via their mutual descent from Queen Victoria, Donatus is the third cousin twice removed of both The Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen. Cecilie married Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (son of Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine who was a grandson of Queen Victoria via her daughter Alice). Sophie first married Prince Christoph of Hesse (son of Princess Margarete of Prussia who was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria via her daughter Victoria, Princess Royal). After Christoph died in World War II, Sophie married Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover who was a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria via her daughter Victoria, Princess Royal.

The Funeral Service

The Order of Service for the Funeral of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (link below) contains all prayers, hymns, and instructions. In addition, some links have been added to provide additional information.

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The funeral service began as the coffin entered St. George’s Chapel and was carried in procession to the catafalque in the quire followed by the family members who participated in the procession. Before the service, The Duke of Edinburgh’s naval cap and sword were placed on the coffin.

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Before his death, the Duke of Edinburgh decided which of his insignia, the medals and decorations conferred on him by the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries, would be displayed at his funeral. The insignia he chose, together with his Field Marshal’s baton and Royal Air Force Wings, and his insignia from Greece and Denmark, as he was born a Prince of Greece and Denmark, were placed on cushions on the altar before the funeral service.

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Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

As per The Duke of Edinburgh’s wishes, no sermon or eulogy was delivered. No members of the royal family read lessons or gave readings. The service was conducted by David Conner, Dean of Windsor and Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury. Due to public health guidelines because of COVID-19, some elements of the funeral plan were modified, although the funeral service was still very much in line with The Duke of Edinburgh’s wishes for a simple, no-fuss funeral.

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David Conner, Dean of Windsor

During the funeral service, a choir of four singers (three male Lay Clerks, the adult singers of St George’s Chapel Choir, and one outside female soprano) was conducted by James Vivian, Organist & Director of Music at St George’s Chapel, Windsor and the organ was played by Luke Bond, Assistant Director of Music at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. The choir, located in the nave, away from the seated congregation, sang four pieces of music chosen by The Duke of Edinburgh. In line with public health guidelines due to COVID-19, there was no singing by the congregation.

The Burial

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An artist’s depiction of the Royal Vault: The bench in the middle is used as a temporary place for coffins waiting to be interred elsewhere. Coffins of permanent burials were placed on the shelves along the sides.

By the time of King George II’s death in 1760, the royal burial vaults at Westminster Abbey were quite crowded. His successor, his grandson King George III, decided to build a new royal vault at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The new Royal Vault was constructed in 1804 under what is now the Albert Memorial Chapel which was once the original chapel built by King Henry III and then used as the chapel of the Order of the Garter.

Coffins interred in the Royal Vault; Credit – the-lothians.blogspot.com

After the funeral service, The Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin was lowered into the Royal Vault. The vault is accessible from the quire of St. George’s Chapel where a portion of the floor can be raised for lowering coffins into the passage that leads to the Royal Vault. In 1873, a mechanically operated platform was installed to ease the lowering of coffins into the vault, and steps to the vault were added behind the high altar. On September 19, 2022, when the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II was interred in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, The Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin was moved to King George VI Memorial Chapel where Queen Elizabeth II’s parents King George VI, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the ashes of Queen Elizabeth II’s sister Princess Margaret are interred.

King George VI Memorial Chapel; Credit – The Royal Family Facebook page

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • ABC News. 2021. Order of Service for the funeral of Prince Philip. [online] ABC News. Available at: <https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/order-service-funeral-prince-philip-77126374> [Accessed 17 April 2021].
  • BBC News. 2021. Prince Philip: Duke’s four children to walk alongside coffin at funeral. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56761074> [Accessed 16 April 2021].
  • BBC News. 2021. Prince Philip funeral: Plans, timings and TV coverage. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56694327> [Accessed 16 April 2021].
  • BBC News. 2021. Who is going to Prince Philip’s funeral?. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56765468> [Accessed 16 April 2021].
  • Foster, Max and Said-Moorhouse, Lauren, 2021. Royal New: Funeral of Prince Philp. [online] CNN. Available at: <https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/messages/16185745461597f028d3d9ece/raw?utm_term=16185745461597f028d3d9ece&utm_source=cnn_Royal+News+April+16&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1618574546161&bt_ee=2CsV8c8KA32Eq8u01ykfbTgxTwJVlgL3CstWN%2Fv1c3eXMqFwDhBFxEnwpAQtMlTU&bt_ts=1618574546161> [Accessed 16 April 2021].
  • The Royal Family. 2021. Funeral of The Duke of Edinburgh. [online] Available at: <https://www.royal.uk/funeral-duke-edinburgh-0> [Accessed 17 April 2021].

Order of Service for the Funeral of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

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The Order of Service for the Funeral of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was released on the evening before the funeral. It contains all prayers, hymns, and instructions. As per The Duke of Edinburgh’s wishes, no sermon or eulogy was delivered. No members of the royal family read lessons or gave readings. The service was conducted by David Conner, Dean of Windsor and Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.

During the funeral service held at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, a choir of four singers (three male Lay Clerks, the adult singers of St George’s Chapel Choir, and one outside female soprano) was conducted by James Vivian, Organist & Director of Music at St George’s Chapel, Windsor and the organ was played by Luke Bond, Assistant Director of Music at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. The choir, located in the nave, away from the seated congregation, sang four pieces of music chosen by The Duke of Edinburgh. In line with public health guidelines due to COVID-19, there was no singing by the congregation.

The Order of Service for the Funeral of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

All stand. The Coffin is removed from the Land Rover and is carried to the West Steps where it rests at 3 pm for the one-minute National Silence.

The Coffin is then carried to the Catafalque in the Quire. Members of the Royal Family who have walked in the Procession are conducted to their places in the Quire.

Meanwhile, the choir sings

THE SENTENCES by William Croft (1678-1727)

I AM the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. (John 11. 25-26)

I KNOW that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. (Job 19. 25-27)

WE brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. (1 Timothy 6. 7, Job 1. 21)

All remain standing. The Dean of Windsor shall say:

THE BIDDING

WE are here today in St George’s Chapel to commit into the hands of God the soul of his servant Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. With grateful hearts, we remember the many ways in which his long life has been a blessing to us. We have been inspired by his unwavering loyalty to our Queen, by his service to the Nation and the Commonwealth, by his courage, fortitude and faith. Our lives have been enriched through the challenges that he has set us, the encouragement that he has given us, his kindness, humour and humanity. We therefore pray that God will give us grace to follow his example, and that, with our brother Philip, at the last, we shall know the joys of life eternal.

All sit. The choir sings Eternal Father, Strong to Save – Melita (music) by J. B. Dykes (1823-1876), Lyrics by William Whiting (1825-1878), Arranged by James Vivian (b. 1974)5

ETERNAL Father, strong to save,
Whose arm doth bind the restless wave,
Who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.

O Saviour, whose almighty word
The winds and waves submissive heard,
Who walkedst on the foaming deep,
And calm amid its rage didst sleep:
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.

O sacred Spirit, who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
Who bad’st its angry tumult cease,
And gavest light and life and peace:
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.

O Trinity of love and power,
Our brethren shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them whereso’er they go:
And ever let there rise to thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

All remain seated.

THE FIRST LESSON

Ecclesiasticus 43. 11-26 read by the Dean of Windsor

LOOK at the rainbow and praise its Maker; it shines with a supreme beauty, rounding the sky with its gleaming arc, a bow bent by the hands of the Most High. His command speeds the snow storm and sends the swift lightning to execute his sentence. To that end the storehouses are opened, and the clouds fly out like birds. By his mighty power the clouds are piled up and the hailstones broken small. The crash of his thunder makes the earth writhe, and, when he appears, an earthquake shakes the hills. At his will the south wind blows, the squall from the north and the hurricane. He scatters the snow-flakes like birds alighting; they settle like a swarm of locusts. The eye is dazzled by their beautiful whiteness, and as they fall the mind is entranced. He spreads frost on the earth like salt, and icicles form like pointed stakes. A cold blast from the north, and ice grows hard on the water, settling on every pool, as though the water were putting on a breastplate. He consumes the hills, scorches the wilderness, and withers the grass like fire. Cloudy weather quickly puts all to rights, and dew brings welcome relief after heat. By the power of his thought he tamed the deep and planted it with islands. Those who sail the sea tell stories of its dangers, which astonish all who hear them; in it are strange and wonderful creatures, all kinds of living things and huge sea monsters. By his own action he achieves his end, and by his word all things are held together.

All remain seated as the choir sings The Jubilate Deo in C by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976), written for St George’s Chapel, Windsor at the request of The Duke of Edinburgh

O BE joyful in the Lord, all ye lands:
serve the Lord with gladness,
and come before his presence with a song.

Be ye sure that the Lord he is God:
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise:
be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name.

For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting:
and his truth endureth from generation to generation.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

All remain seated.

THE SECOND LESSON

John 11. 21-27 read by the Archbishop of Canterbury

MARTHA said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.”

All remain seated as the choir sings Psalm 104 by William Lovelady (born 1945) abridged and arranged for choir and organ by James Vivian (born 1974) with the composer’s permission. Words from Psalm 104, adapted by Sam Dyer (born 1945)

The Duke of Edinburgh requested that Psalm 104 should be set to music by William Lovelady. Originally composed as a cantata in three movements, it was first sung in honour of His Royal Highness’s 75th Birthday.

MY SOUL give praise unto the Lord of heaven,
In majesty and honour clothed;
The earth he made will not be moved,
The seas he made to be its robe. Give praise.

The waters rise above the highest mountain,
And flow down to the vales and leas;
At springs, wild asses quench their thirst,
And birds make nest amid the trees.

The trees the Lord has made are full of vigour,
The fir tree is a home for storks;
Wild goats find refuge in the hills,
From foes the conies shelter in the rocks.

My soul give praise unto the Lord of heaven,
In majesty and honour clothed;
The earth he made will not be moved,
The seas he made to be its robe. Give praise.

O Lord, how manifold is your creation,
All things in wisdom you provide;
You give your riches to the earth,
And to the sea so great and wide.

You take your creatures breath and life is ended,
Your breath goes forth and life begins;
Your hand renews the face of earth,
Your praise my whole life I will sing.

My soul give praise unto the Lord of heaven,
In majesty and honour clothed;
The earth he made will not be moved,
The seas he made to be its robe. Give praise.

Let us pray. All sit or kneel.

The choir sings THE LESSER LITANY by William Smith (1603-45), adapted by Roger Judd, MVO (born 1944)

LORD, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

The choir sings THE LORD’S PRAYER Music by Robert Stone (1516-1613) from John Day’s Certaine Notes 1565

OUR Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name;
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
But deliver us from evil. Amen.

THE RESPONSES

ENTER not into judgement with thy servant, O Lord.
For in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
Grant unto him eternal rest.
And let light perpetual shine upon him.
We believe verily to see the goodness of the Lord.
In the land of the living.
O Lord, hear our prayer.
And let our cry come unto thee.

THE COLLECT

The Dean of Windsor shall say:

O MERCIFUL God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life; in whom whosoever believeth shall live, though he die; and whosoever liveth, and believeth in him, shall not die eternally; who also hath taught us by his Holy Apostle Saint Paul, not to be sorry, as men without hope, for them that sleep in him: We meekly beseech thee, O Father that, when we shall depart this life, we may rest in him, as our hope is this our brother doth; and that, at the general resurrection in the last day, we may be found acceptable in thy sight; and receive that blessing, which thy well-beloved Son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear thee, saying, Come ye blessed children of my Father; receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Grant this we beseech thee, O merciful Father through Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen.

THE PRAYERS

The Archbishop of Canterbury shall say:

O ETERNAL God, before whose face the generations rise and pass away, thyself unchanged, abiding, we bless thy holy name for all who have completed their earthly course in thy faith and following, and are now at rest; we remember before thee this day Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, rendering thanks unto thee-for his resolute faith and loyalty, for his high sense of duty and integrity, for his life of service to the Nation and Commonwealth, and for the courage and inspiration of his leadership. To him, with all the faithful departed, grant thy peace; Let light perpetual shine upon them; and in thy loving wisdom and almighty power work in them the good purpose of thy perfect will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Dean of Windsor, Register of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, shall say:

O LORD, who didst give to thy servant Saint George grace to lay aside the fear of man, and to be faithful even unto death: Grant that we, unmindful of worldly honour, may fight the wrong, uphold thy rule, and serve thee to our lives’ end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

GOD save our gracious Sovereign and all the Companions, living and departed, of the Most Honourable and Noble Order of The Garter. Amen.

O GOD of the spirits of all flesh, we praise thy holy name for thy servant Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who has left us a fair pattern of valiant and true knighthood; grant unto him the assurance of thine ancient promise that thou wilt ever be with those who go down to the sea in ships and occupy their business in great waters. And we beseech thee that, following his good example and strengthened by his fellowship, we may at the last, together with him, be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Archbishop of Canterbury shall say:

O LORD God, when thou givest to thy servants to endeavour any great matter, grant us also to know that it is not the beginning, but the continuing of the same unto the end, until it be thoroughly finished, which yieldeth the true glory; through him, who for the finishing of thy work laid down his life, our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort: Deal graciously, we pray thee, with those who mourn; that casting every care on thee they may know the consolation of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

All sit as the choir sings THE ANTHEM – Russian Kontakion of the Departed, translated by William John Birkbeck (1859-1916), Kiev Melody, arranged by Sir Walter Parratt, KCVO (1841-1924)

GIVE rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy Saints:
where sorrow and pain are no more;
neither sighing, but life everlasting.

Thou only art immortal, the Creator and Maker of man:
And we are mortal, formed of the earth, and unto earth shall we return.
For so thou didst ordain, when thou createdest me, saying,
Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

All we go down to the dust; and, weeping, o’er the grave,
we make our song: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

All stand.

THE COMMENDATION – As the Coffin is lowered into the Royal Vault, the Dean of Windsor shall say:

GO forth upon thy journey from this world, O Christian soul,
In the name of God the Father Almighty who created thee;
In the name of Jesus Christ who suffered for thee;
In the name of the Holy Spirit who strengtheneth thee;
May thy portion this day be in peace,
and thy dwelling in the heavenly Jerusalem. Amen.

All remain standing. The Garter Principal King of Arms proclaims:

THE STYLES AND TITLES OF HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE PHILIP DUKE OF EDINBURGH

THUS it hath pleased Almighty God to take out of this transitory life unto his divine mercy the late most Illustrious and most Exalted Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Member of the Order of Merit, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order upon whom had been conferred the Royal Victorian Chain, Grand Master and Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Lord

High Admiral of the United Kingdom, One of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council, Admiral of the Fleet, Field Marshal in the Army and Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Husband of Her Most Excellent Majesty Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, whom may God preserve and bless with long life, health and honour and all worldly happiness.

A LAMENT played by the Pipe Major of The Royal Regiment of Scotland

THE LAST POST sounded by the Buglers of the Royal Marines

After a period of silence the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry sounded REVEILLE

ACTION STATIONS sounded by the Buglers of the Royal Marines

Then the Archbishop of Canterbury pronounces THE BLESSING

All remain standing as the choir sings THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

GOD save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save The Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
God save The Queen!

All remain standing in their places as Her Majesty The Queen, Members of the Royal Family and Members of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Family leave the Chapel via the Galilee Porch escorted by the Dean of Windsor and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Music after the service: Luke Bond, Assistant Director of Music, St George’s Chapel, will play Prelude and Fugue in C minor BWV 546 Johann Sebastian Bach

How to Watch Prince Philip’s Funeral in the United States

Credit – Wikipedia

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The funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh will take place on Saturday, April 17, 2021, at 3:00 PM British Time (10:00 AM US Eastern Time) at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England. It will be a ceremonial royal funeral, the same as for Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 2002, rather than a state funeral which is usually reserved for monarchs. Unofficial Royalty will be publishing an article about the funeral over the weekend.

In the United States, the following channels will be showing the funeral:

  • ABC – coverage starts at 9:30 AM US Eastern Time
  • BBC World News – coverage starts at 7:30 AM US Eastern Time
  • CBS – coverage starts at 9:30 AM US Eastern Time
  • CNN – coverage starts at 9:00 AM US Eastern Time
  • Fox News – coverage starts at 9:00 AM US Eastern Time
  • MSNBC – coverage starts at 9:00 AM US Eastern Time
  • NBC – coverage starts at 9:30 AM US Eastern Time
  • Telemundo (Spanish language channel) – coverage starts at 9:00 AM US Eastern Time

The funeral service itself will start at 3:00 PM British Time (10:00 AM US Eastern Time). However, prior to the funeral service, there will be a procession from Windsor Castle the short distance to St. George’s Chapel which will start at 2:45 PM British Time (9:45 AM US Eastern Time). A military band, members of the military, The Duke of Edinburgh’s children (The Prince of Wales, The Princess Royal, The Duke of York and The Earl of Wessex), his three eldest grandsons (The Duke of Cambridge, The Duke of Sussex and Peter Phillips), his son-in-law Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, and the late Princess Margaret’s son David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon will accompany the coffin of The Duke of Edinburgh. The Queen will travel with a lady-in-waiting in the state Bentley at the end of the procession.

Although St. George’s Chapel can seat 800 people, due to COVID restrictions, there can be only 30 guests at the funeral. Buckingham Palace said The Queen faced some very difficult decisions in selecting the guests and wanted all branches of her husband’s family to be represented.

  • The Queen: wife of The Duke of Edinburgh
  • The Prince of Wales: eldest son of The Duke of Edinburgh
  • The Duchess of Cornwall: wife of The Prince of Wales
  • The Duke of Cambridge: grandson of The Duke of Edinburgh
  • The Duchess of Cambridge: wife of The Duke of Cambridge
  • The Duke of Sussex: grandson of The Duke of Edinburgh
  • The Duke of York: second son of The Duke of Edinburgh
  • Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi: granddaughter of The Duke of Edinburgh
  • Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi: husband of Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
  • Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank: granddaughter of The Duke of Edinburgh
  • Jack Brooksbank: husband of Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank
  • The Earl of Wessex: third son of The Duke of Edinburgh
  • The Countess of Wessex: wife of The Earl of Wessex
  • James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn: grandson of The Duke of Edinburgh
  • Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor: granddaughter of The Duke of Edinburgh
  • The Princess Royal: only daughter of The Duke of Edinburgh
  • Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence: husband of The Princess Royal
  • Peter Phillips: grandson of The Duke of Edinburgh
  • Zara Tindall: granddaughter of The Duke of Edinburgh
  • Mike Tindall: husband of Zara Phillips
  • David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon: son of the late Princess Margaret, nephew of The Queen
  • Lady Sarah Chatto: daughter of the late Princess Margaret, niece of The Queen
  • Daniel Chatto: husband of Lady Sarah Chatto
  • The Duke of Gloucester: paternal first cousin of The Queen
  • The Duke of Kent: paternal first cousin of The Queen
  • Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy: paternal first cousin of The Queen
  • Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma: wife of Norton Knatchbull, 3rd Earl Mountbatten of Burma who is the grandson of Prince Philip’s uncle Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, who was killed by the IRA in 1979. The Countess was Prince Philip’s carriage driving partner and one of his closest friends.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s four sisters will be represented by members of the House of Baden, the House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, and the House of Hesse.

  • Bernhard, Hereditary Prince of Baden: Heir to the Head of the House of Baden, great-nephew of The Duke of Edinburgh, son of Maximilian, Margrave of Baden who is the son of The Duke of Edinburgh’s sister Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark and Berthold, Margrave of Baden
  • Philipp, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg: Head of the House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, great-nephew of The Duke of Edinburgh, son of Kraft, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg who is the son of The Duke of Edinburgh’s sister Princess Margarita of Greece and Denmark and Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
  • Prince Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse: Head of the House of Hesse, into which The Duke of Edinburgh’s sisters Princess Cecile of Greece and Denmark and Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark married. Via their mutual descent from Queen Victoria, Donatus is the third cousin twice removed of both The Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen. Cecilie married Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine (son of Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine who was a grandson of Queen Victoria via her daughter Alice). Sophie first married Prince Christoph of Hesse (son of Princess Margarete of Prussia who was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria via her daughter Victoria, Princess Royal). After Christoph died in World War II, Sophie married Prince Georg Wilhelm of Hanover who was a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria via her daughter Victoria, Princess Royal.

The Laird o’ Thistle – Special Edition – The Passing of Prince Philip

by The Laird o’Thistle
April 9, 2021

Buckingham Palace announced the news at mid-day: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning [9 April 2021] at Windsor Castle.” The news was a surprise, and not a surprise. He was so very old, and so very frail-looking in the final pictures of him leaving hospital last month.

Thoughts immediately began to fly in my head. The first one was “Well, he got his wish!” (Philip’s remark from some years back, that “he could think of nothing worse!” than turning 100, has been widely reported over the last year or so. And so here he dies, two months short of the mark.) My second thought was, “How will this affect the Queen?” She turns 95 herself twelve days from now.

Any death, even in one so elderly, even when anticipated, rips a tear in the fabric of a family. Queen Elizabeth has lost her deeply beloved spouse of nearly 73½ years, the man she is said to have adored since 1939 when she was a teenage Princess and he a handsome naval cadet (and Prince). At age 72, Prince Charles has lost his father… with whom he did not always have an easy relationship. Princess Anne has often been said to be the closest to her father of the four children. Prince William has been particularly close to his grandparents ever since their staunch support at the time of Princess Diana’s death; and it was Philip who volunteered to walk with him and Prince Harry in Diana’s funeral procession. The two youngest grandchildren, Prince Edward’s Louise and James, have grown up almost literally on the doorstep of Windsor Castle, with Lady Louise taking up Philip’s love of carriage driving. And, and, and…. All the dynamics now shift and change.

Prince Philip died at Windsor Castle, where 160 years ago the previous Prince Consort (a title Philip never officially held) also died. In the 2005 BBC documentary series, WINDSOR CASTLE – A ROYAL YEAR, Philip commented that Prince Albert’s ongoing heritage was a hard act to follow. Philip’s mother, Princess Alice, was born at Windsor in 1885, in the presence of her great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. Prince Philip had served as a very hands-on Ranger of the Great Park at Windsor since 1952, and oversaw the rebuilding and restoration effort after the 1992 fire. He also co-designed the great formal rose garden on the castle’s east terrace.

Who was he? Born a Prince of Greece and Denmark, he was the eldest living member of the former Greek royal family. Until today he was also perhaps the closest living relative of both Czar Nicholas II (a first cousin of Philip’s father) and the Czarina Alexandra (his mother’s aunt). He was a serving Naval Officer in both the Mediterranean and Pacific in WWII, later given the historic title of Lord High Admiral by the Queen. He was something of an explorer in the early years of the Queen’s reign, and an early environmentalist. He painted in oils.

His big job in life, however, was to be “supporting the Queen” in her role as monarch. It was Philip who broke the news to Elizabeth of her father’s death in February 1952. Always a few steps behind… or wandering off on his own at times… on state occasions and royal visits, HM described him on their 50th wedding anniversary (23 years ago!) as “simply my strength and stay all these years.” Although viewed with some apprehension by members of the “establishment” in early years (reportedly including Churchill, and Queen Mary, for instance, but not King George VI), he departs the scene as the longest-ever British royal consort, and as a careful hand in the many adaptations the royal family has necessarily made since 1952.

It has been noted how this last year of quarantine together has proved something of an ironic “gift” to the Queen and Prince Philip, giving them more time together, day-by-day, than they have had since early on in their marriage.

In interviews at the time of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (2012) and her 90th birthday (2016) there began to be speculations about how she might cope when he eventually stepped out of the picture. Would it impede her ability to carry on? Some of the answer began to emerge after Prince Philip’s retirement from royal duties in 2017. Often accompanied by younger members of the family, the Queen has kept on keeping on… at least until now. Now, we’ll see what happens.

It has previously been reported that – unlike the late Queen Mum – Prince Philip decidedly did not want a big state funeral. His preference is said to have been for something more modest and private. We’ll now see how things unfold. Ongoing COVID-19 restrictions will certainly be a factor. Greater privacy will, I think, be a true blessing for his widow and family.

Back in that 2005 documentary, Prince Philip refused to try to say what his legacy might be. That, he thought, was for others to determine. “You just hope that you’ll leave things better than they might have been otherwise.” In that, there can be little doubt that he succeeded. Well done, Sir. And, thank you!

Yours aye,

Ken Cuthbertson – the Laird o’ Thistle

Unofficial Royalty Resources on Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Credit – Wikipedia

Born a Prince of Greece and Denmark on June 10, 1921, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was the youngest of the five children and the only son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg. He was a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria via her daughter Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine.

On November 20, 1947, the Duke of Edinburgh married the future Queen Elizabeth II and the couple had four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. The Duke of Edinburgh died on April 9, 2021, just two months short of his 100th birthday. He was the longest-serving consort of a British monarch and the longest-lived male member of the British royal family.

All article links below are from Unofficial Royalty.

We are pleased to have a special edition column from one of our columnists:

The Laird o’ Thistle – Special Edition – The Passing of Prince Philip

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