Prince Philips Funeral.

A very moving, beautiful service. The Queen looked so tiny and so very alone, I really felt for her. RIP

I haven’t seen it yet, but noted the comments about the Queen on her own, looking so small and alone. At my DH’s funeral last month, we were only allowed 15 mourners inside the Crematorium. Seats were laid out in twos, so DH’s sister could sit with me and both DDs could be seated with their husbands.
I wonder why the difference for PP?

I can't understand why people gathered in the street. The Palace asked them not to. They saw nothing. We saw every detail as it happened.

I agree with all the comments on here, so moving and and fitting. I felt sorry for the Queen as well she looked so tiny and forlorn.

It was so moving. Just perfect.

The soprano was amazing.

Whitewavemark2

This moved me

“LOOK at the rainbow and praise its Maker; it shines with a supreme beauty, rounding the sky with its gleaming arc, a bow bent by the hands of the Most High. His command speeds the snow storm and sends the swift lightning to execute his sentence. To that end the storehouses are opened, and the clouds fly out like birds. By his mighty power the clouds are piled up and the hailstones broken small. The crash of his thunder makes the earth writhe, and, when he appears, an earthquake shakes the hills. At his will the south wind blows, the squall from the north and the hurricane. He scatters the snow-flakes like birds alighting; they settle like a swarm of locusts. The eye is dazzled by their beautiful whiteness, and as they fall the mind is entranced. He spreads frost on the earth like salt, and icicles form like pointed stakes. A cold blast from the north, and ice grows hard on the water, settling on every pool, as though the water were putting on a breastplate. He consumes the hills, scorches the wilderness, and withers the grass like fire. Cloudy weather quickly puts all to rights, and dew brings welcome relief after heat. By the power of his thought he tamed the deep and planted it with islands. Those who sail the sea tell stories of its dangers, which astonish all who hear them; in it are strange and wonderful creatures, all kinds of living things and huge sea-monsters. By his own action he achieves his end, and by his word all things are held together.”

I think this together with Psalm 104 reflected Philips love for the natural world.

The Flowers of the Forest finished me off!!

Thanks for that. I wanted to be able to read and ponder on it but didn’t know where to look. I thought the whole thing was beautifully done and found myself shedding tears several times. I hadn’t watched any of the wall to wall covering of the Dukes death prior to today. I felt very proud thinking that the whole world was watching this. The covid restrictions made it very much of it’s time and made me very aware of witnessing a great historical moment on several levels. And, as was mentioned on the tv we think of Victoria and Albert as being the great royal love story but, in fact this was much greater.

I thought it was a very moving ceremony, the music and the readings were lovely. Tears sprang immediately to my eyes when the camera showed the Queen looking so tiny as she sat alone with head bowed.

In some ways, I thought it better without all the politicians and dignitaries and so on that you’d normally get at such a time. You knew everyone there had cared about and loved Prince Philip.

I thought it was amazing and perfect and Prince Phillip would have loved it. No-one put a foot wrong but that's exactly what we have come to expect. I felt for the Queen; she looked totally diminished by her grief, and the Dean of Windsor seemed to be weighed down by the occasion too.

I hadn't planned to watch, but... I found it so moving and very fitting, not least in that it was so sparsely attended, so clearly his personal choices, pared down and so relevant to him. Little pomp and circumstance, very appropriate both for the Duke and also for this time of Covid.

I thought it was very moving and perfectly suited to the Duke. I do wish they did not always fire guns on these occasions though.

Yes, wasn’t it moving. It must have been hard for the queen’s children too, they must have wanted to comfort her.
Everything was perfectly planned, beautiful to watch. All the better for the lack of politicians etc who would otherwise have been there.

It was very moving and very dignified. I was particularly moved by the sight of the carriage and ponies with Prince Philip’s cap, gloves and blanket placed on the seat next to the driver. The choice of music was touching, too. In fact, the whole service was just right.

I agree that the Queen looked tiny and forlorn. I’m sure, though, that her family will gather round her as best as they can in these Covid times, to offer loving support in the difficult days ahead.

The simplicity of it made the service more moving and meanngful and I loved the choice of music, which were Prince Philip's when planning this service.

I thought it was very well done, but I really missed the proper choir, with boy trebles. I suppose it would have been a very daunting job for just one boy, so they had a female soprano.

Eternal Father, Strong to Save reminds me of school. Whenever we sang it in assembly our English teacher, a very beautiful woman, would go out of the hall. The story was that her fiancé had been in the Navy, and was killed in the war. We thought it very romantic.

It was perfect. Can't say more, can I?

We caught bits of the earlier parts of the broadcast and I felt so sorry for all the military having to stand motionless in the Great Park for so long. My unfeeling DP said that they were trained to do it..

Yes, I was terrified one of them would keel over.

I thought, as usual, they got it ‘just right’.

And as Sophie Wessex said the other day “The Queen is amazing”.

Long may she reign.

Very moving. I cried at the carriage with the cap and gloves laid by the side. So sad. God bless our queen.

A very moving funeral.

I felt really upset seeing the poor Queen having to sit there completely alone. It really brought it home to me how many widows must have suffered being in the same situation over the last year. Meanwhile people are out in crowds at the shops and the pub enjoying themselves. It seems very wrong to me that we can’t exercise compassion to those who are grieving.

Beautiful music and readings, extremely poignant I admit to shedding a tear.

I wept for her majesty. To be denied a comforting arm around her, the holding of another hand, watching her husband laid to rest, never was there a time she needed this more.

I think it was an even more memorable occasion because of the constraints than a big funeral would have been.

Really liked the reading from Ecclesiastes which I hadn't heard before.

Delighted to see everyone walking back afterwards and making the official cars redundant!

I agree that it was a more moving and intimate occasion because of the restrictions; while I am sure there are many people they would have liked to be there, it was probably a blessing that dignitaries and politicians couldn’t be invited. It is fortunate at least that the easements last Monday meant the numbers increased from 15 to 30.
I understand it was available to be televised internationally. While the objective of today was to say farewell to a much loved husband, father and grandfather etc., there is no doubt the service did the Country proud, thanks to the Duke himself. RIP

Georgesgran the rules changed on April 12th.

An appropriately sombre and moving event made more so due to the circumstances. It bought home to me the many, many others who’ve had to say goodbye in the last year or more with similar ceremonies scaled back with no contact.