Queen Will Have 'Extraordinary Courage' During 'Anguished Moment' At Philip's Funeral

Apr 17, 2021

In an interview with the BBC on Friday, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, spoke to Prince Philip’s funeral, where he would be giving his blessing on Saturday. Welby not only addressed how he thought the public would react during and after the Saturday ceremony at Windsor Castle, but he also opened up about what Queen Elizabeth II must be going through after losing her husband of 73 years.

Since Philip's death, there have been a significant number of tributes and condolences pouring in. His singular and incredible life continues to be remembered and celebrated by his family. While Philip has a large number of achievements and accolades to his name, nothing will ever surpass the fact that he was the love of Elizabeth's life and that he was the most devoted companion to the queen. The Duke of Edinburgh was an active and dedicated member of the Royal Family ever since Elizabeth's crowning, too.

The enduring love between Elizabeth and Philip will always be one for the ages. Their love budded when they were very young, and unlike other royal marriages that are often arranged, Elizabeth and Philip married for love. After doing so, they have remained each other's steadfast companions and have supported one another through devastating times. While Elizabeth had the responsibility of becoming a queen thrust upon her early on, Philip had to make compromises and sacrifices to support the new queen. Through his actions and devotion towards his wife, Philip became the perfect example of a royal consort and will remain an inspiration for decades to come.

“She is saying farewell to someone to whom she was married for 73 years. I think that must be a very, very profound thing in anybody’s life,” the Archbishop said in his Friday interview with the BBC.

The Archbishop also asked the public to pray for Elizabeth during "what must be an anguished moment" for the queen. He added that onlookers should refrain from making judgments about what the monarch looks like, for he says she will "behave with the extraordinary dignity, extraordinary courage that she always does.”

Beyond Archbishop Welby’s words regarding the queen, he also opened up about what Philip’s funeral means for people watching from home.

“I think it will resonate very deeply for a lot of people,” Archbishop Welby said. “I think there will be tears in many homes because other names will be on their minds, faces they’ve lost that they don’t see again, funerals that they couldn’t go to as many haven’t been able to go to this one because it’s been limited to 30 in the congregation. That will break many a heart. In one sense, part of the burden her majesty carries is that burden of representing everyone in her person. And that’s a heavy burden.”

According to Sky News’ preliminary information regarding funeral plans, the ceremony will start at 2:40 p.m. (BST) at Windsor Castle’s state entrance. The Dean of Windsor, the Lord Chamberlain and the first Battalion Grenadier Guards will accompany Philip’s coffin to the entrance, where it will be put onto a specially designed car. From there, the coffin will be transported to the nearby chapel.

The funeral service itself will begin at 3 p.m. after a national minute of silence. The Dean of Windsor and Archbishop of Canterbury will then receive the coffin. It is there, in the chapel, where only a select group of royal family members will be allowed to attend due to coronavirus regulations.

In light of Philip's death, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a period of national mourning leading up to the ceremony, according to Sky News.

“I think this funeral is absolutely about the Duke of Edinburgh,” Archbishop Welby said. “And in the hundreds of funerals, which I’ve taken, they have different impacts on people in different ways at the time and later. And this funeral is about looking at the duke’s life, being proud of that life. It’s about the fact that whatever is going on in the family that each one will be feeling a sense of loss.”

Following Philip’s funeral, the Duke of Edinburgh will be buried at the Royal Vault of St. George’s Chapel until the queen’s death. Once the queen has passed on, they will both be buried at King George VI memorial chapel, according to Sky News.

Philip, Elizabeth's husband, died at age 99 on April 9, according to a Buckingham Palace announcement. Having been married to the queen for more than 70 years, he was the longest-serving consort of any British monarch.

In Britain, flags around the country hung at half-mast that day in mourning of the royal family’s loss.

“I hope that we will see this moment as something we share in the grief of this very, very hard year we’ve all gone through,” the Archbishop said. “And then we’ll say the best thing we can do is to do what he did in all his life: just get on with it.”

Rest in peace, Prince Philip. How do you think the queen is doing? Let us know — and pass this on to friends and family members.