Why Prince Philip's Coffin Was Carried In a Land Rover

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The elaborate planning for Queen Elizabeth’s royal funeral—known as Operation London Bridge—features significantly in the final episodes of Netflix’s hit drama series The Crown. However, it’s not the only royal funeral plan that gets a show out in the season: Prince Philip’s also garners a mention.

Codenamed Operation Forth Bridge (many royal funerals are named after prominent bridges: the Forth Bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Edinburgh, while the Queen Mother’s funeral plan was known as Operation Tay Bridge after a bridge located in Dundee, Scotland, near where she grew up. above (to prevent news of the royal death from leaking out before the official announcement), Prince Philip’s funeral plans had been in the works for many years prior to the royal’s death in 2021. However, unlike Elizabeth’s funeral, which was executed according to a no-no after the death of the vanquished monarch in 2022, Philip’s dispatch was dramatically replaced from what the prince had planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Philip has insisted on opposing holding a state funeral or public lies — two honors normally reserved for the monarch and his wife — Philip’s funeral has been further restricted by decrees opposing gatherings and social distancing issues amid the pandemic. the original funeral plans at the start of the pandemic as a precautionary measure, so what in the past would have been a formal procession from London to Windsor was scaled back to include only military honours.

The event was still plenty regal, though—around 700 members of different military branches were there, representing Philip’s naval service and lifelong dedication to the armed forces. Philip’s coffin was also carried in a specially outfitted Land Rover which he began customizing for the purpose nearly 20 years prior.

Perhaps the most notable update to the plan was the reduced guest list. In accordance with British safety protocols at the time, only 30 visitors were present, at most all relative. In fact, only one unrelated user among the mourners, Penelope “Penny” Romsey, who is Philip’s close friend and carriage-driver partner (their relationship also appeared in the fifth season of The Crown).

Despite all the changes, spokespeople for the circle of royal relatives made it clear at the time that all arrangements remained in line with Philip’s wishes. Known for his down-to-earth attitude, many have even warned that a more discreet service would have been more in line with Philip’s preferences. Before his death, one of his aides once quipped in the Times, “He doesn’t have enough vitality for that. “

Why Prince Philip’s Coffin Was Carried In a Land Rover

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