Prince Philip honored by gun salutes across U.K.
Gun salutes across the United Kingdom marked the death of Prince Philip on Saturday. The husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II died on Friday at Windsor Castle. He was 99.
Batteries of cannons in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and other cities fired 41 rounds at one-minute intervals starting at midday. Salutes were also fired from Royal Navy ships at sea.
"His Royal Highness leaves us with a legacy of indomitable spirit, steadfastness and an unshakeable sense of duty,'' said General Nick Carter, chief of the U.K. Defense Staff. "From all of us who serve today and who have served, thank you."
Also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, Philip served in the Royal Navy during World War II and once had a promising military career. He joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1939 and won mentions during the war for his service aboard the battleship HMS Valiant at Cape Matapan, on Greece's Peloponnesian peninsula. He rose to the rank of commander before he retired from active duty.
Buckingham Palace officials said Prince Philip's funeral will take place on April 17 at Windsor Castle in a family service that will be closed to the public. The palace said Philip, also known as the Duke of Edinburgh, took part in planning his funeral and the focus on family was in accordance with his wishes.
Windsor Castle is located 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of London, where Philip spent his final weeks with the queen. His funeral will be held in St. George's Chapel at the castle, the site of centuries of royal burials - and royal weddings, including the 2018 union of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Prince Harry, who stepped away from royal duties last year and now lives in California, will attend the service along with other members of the royal family. His wife, the duchess of Sussex, who is pregnant, has been advised by her doctor not to attend.
Palace officials said that the ceremony would be conducted strictly in line with government COVID-19 guidelines, which restrict the number of people attending funerals. They declined to say whether the royal family would be required to wear masks.
On Saturday, the Royal Family tweeted a tribute to Philip:
