The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phili p, who died aged 99 in 2021, is to be honoured today with a memorial ceremony in his honour.
The Prince will be celebrated for his service as mourners reflect on his “long life lived fully”.
The ceremony will be attended by a wide range of representatives and loved ones, although his grandson and his wife Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will not be in attendance.
Representatives from the Duke of Edinburgh Award are expected to be in attendance as are members of the armed forces and foreign dignitaries.
The Queen, who was married to Philip for 73 years, will be in attendance, having made a last-minute call after a period of poor health. It will be the first event outside of her own home that she has made it to so far this year.
“There will be no drama, no grand gestures - but behind the scenes, it will be very tightly managed”, a long-standing former courtier said.
It is believed that Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, will be in attendance of a public event for the first time since his out of court settlement with accuser Virginia Giuffre.
How to watch the Prince Philip memorial service on TV
Prince Philip ’s memorial will be broadcast as live on TV today, Match 29. Coverage of events is due to begin at 10:30am and last until 12:15pm.
It will be broadcast on BBC One with Huw Edwards, BBC New’s anchor, set to host the special broadcast.
Is there a live stream of the Prince Philip memorial?
Yes, the service will also be shown live online via the BBC iPlayer app, again on BBC One.
The service will be available to watch afterwards on BBC iPlayer.
The Prince is remembered by the Dean of Westminster, who will be giving the service, as a “man of rare ability and distinction" that "put privilege to work and understood his rank as a spur to service".
What time is the Prince Philip memorial service?
The service, which will be one of thanksgiving for the Prince’s work, is billed to start at 11:30am.
Hymns will be sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey and Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal.
The announcement for the thanksgiving service was made last year, with the one-year anniversary confirmed at the time by the Palace, which said: "The Queen has agreed that a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh will take place in the spring of 2022 at Westminster Abbey.”
Why can’t the public go to the Prince Philip memorial service?
The service to Prince Philip is due to be held at Westminster Abbey, which in itself means the capacity of the event is limited.
The Abbey is a particularly poignant place for the service to take place as it was the setting of the Royal couple’s marriage back in 1947. Just six years later, it also played host to the Queen’s coronation.
