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Prince Philip to receive ceremonial funeral at Windsor Castle next Saturday

By Zach Harper

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Prince Philip will receive a ceremonial royal funeral on April 17, the Royal Family has announced.

The Duke of Edinburgh will be laid to rest in a service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle in a ceremony that will be conducted by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Thirty of his closest family members will be in attendance, in line with COVID-19 restrictions currently in place in England. All mourners will wear masks inside the Chapel to comply with national regulations.

Prince Harry will fly back from the United States to be at the service, while Duchess Meghan is not expected to attend. The Duchess of Sussex is pregnant with her and Harry's second child, and her doctor has advised her against travelling at this time.

The Royal Family has added that further details about the guest list will be shared closer to the service.

The Duke of Edinburgh's coffin will be driven from the Castle grounds' State Entrance to the Chapel's West Steps in a specially-modified Land Rover that he helped design a few years ago.

Philip looking at Land Rover engines at the MOD Lyneham in Wiltshire, England in 2016. Photo: © BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images

Once his coffin arrives at the State Entrance, pallbearers from the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards will carry it to the Land Rover at 2:40 p.m. Prince Charles and the other Royal Family members in attendance will then walk behind Philip's coffin along with members of the British military until they reach the Chapel.

When the coffin arrives at the Chapel, it will be carried up the stairs by members of the Royal Marines, while a Royal Naval pipe plays. A minute's silence will then be held across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

Following the service, the duke will be buried in the Royal Vault underneath St George's Chapel.

The Royal Vault under St George's Chapel is the final resting place of other royals. The Queen Mother, whose tomb is seen here, is buried in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, which is also inside St George's Chapel. Photo: © Tim Ockenden - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

As previously revealed, Philip will not have a state funeral, since those are reserved for the sovereign. Members of the public are also asked not to try to attend or crowd outside the Windsor Castle grounds due to COVID-19 concerns.

The ceremony will be broadcast live on the BBC, and will likely also be available to be streamed live online.

The Royal Family is currently in the middle of an eight-day period of mourning following Philip's death. They will be wearing black or uniforms with mourning bands during engagements, though they may cancel many of them due to this current time of sorrow.