Cousin of William, Harry to walk in between at Prince Philip funeral
London, April 16: The much-talked-about feud between the brothers, Princes William and Harry, was thrown into focus again as the running order for their grandfather Prince Philip’s funeral on Saturday confirmed that they would not be walking side by side in the procession. The cousin of the royals, Peter Phillips – the son of Queen Elizabeth II’s daughter Princess Anne, will walk in between as they follow the specially-designed Land Rover which will carry the coffin of Prince Philip – the Duke of Edinburgh through Windsor Castle. There have been widespread reports of an estrangement between 38-year-old William, the second in line to the British throne, and his younger brother Harry, 36. Details of the ceremonial funeral released by Buckingham Palace on Thursday confirmed the others in the procession to St George’s Chapel as all four children of the late royal: Prince Charles – the Prince of Wales, Princess Anne – the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew – the Duke of York, and Prince Edward – the Earl of Wessex and Forfar. The ceremony, which was originally designed for a gathering of 800, will have just 30 guests comprising close family and the other guests on the limited guest list include Prince Charles’ wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William’s wife Kate Middleton, all of Prince Philip’s grandchildren and their spouses, and the children of the Queen’s sister Princess Margaret. (PTI)
Customised Land Rover designed by Prince Philip to carry his coffin
London, April 16: Buckingham Palace on Friday released further details of the bespoke Land Rover, designed by Prince Philip over a 16-year project, which will double up as a hearse to carry his coffin to St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle for the royal ceremonial funeral on Saturday.
As the central feature of a funeral the Duke of Edinburgh planned himself with military precision, the modified Land Rover Defender TD5 130 chassis cab vehicle was unveiled for the first time on Thursday. His modifications include an open-top rear section, where his coffin will rest, and a military green colour given his affiliation to the armed forces and having served as a naval officer in the World War II.
Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip, who passed away peacefully in his apartment at Windsor Castle last Friday aged 99, first began the venture to create the bespoke vehicle in collaboration with Land Rover in 2003, the year he turned 82 and five years before the luxury car brand was taken over by Tata Motors. He made final adjustments to the vehicle in 2019, the year he turned 98.
The Defender was made at Land Rover’s factory in Solihull in the West Midlands region of England, with the Duke overseeing the modifications in collaboration with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) through the intervening years. (PTI)