The town of Windsor in the county of Royal Berkshire basked in glorious sunshine on Saturday, 17 April 2021, as HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was laid to rest in the Royal Vault of St George’s Chapel, within the walls of Windsor Castle. The funeral of the longest-serving royal consort in British history took place in the midst of a pandemic. Consequently, officials of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead requested intending visitors to stay away, and the congregation was limited to just thirty black- masked and socially-distanced sombre royals, who listened intently as the Dean of Windsor (David Conner), who conducted the funeral service, and the Archbishop of Canterbury (Justin Welby) spoke in turn, while a four-member choir filled in the gaps. The restrained, yet dignified, proceedings were the latest example of the pageantry the British have consistently proved to be so good at.
Participants in the events of the day approached Windsor Castle along a 2.64- mile-long dead straight and tree-lined avenue that sweeps through Windsor Great Park, from the Copper Horse statue of George III to the George IV Gateway at the castle. The Duke’s favourite driving carriage, pulled by two Fell ponies, led the way, with a Land Rover close behind, followed by a succession of military contingents, including bands and mounted guards. Around 730 members of the Armed Forces came to Windsor specially for the day. Contingents from the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force formed a Guard of Honour, while a tri-services band performed on a central grassy Quadrangle. Prince Philip’s coffin, draped in his personal flag, was lifted on to his specially adapted Land Rover hearse from the State Entrance of the castle. The hearse drove past the Quadrangle, down Chapel Hill, and through an archway into Horseshoe Cloister. Pallbearers from the Grenadier Guards then carried the coffin from the Cloister and up the West Steps of St George’s Chapel, which is charmingly termed a “Royal Peculiar”, under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch. The royal congregation followed behind, with the Queen in her State Bentley to the rear. This was the first and the last time the Duke had ever taken precedence over the Queen at any time. A nationwide one minute of silence followed, just before the service began. The meticulously planned and skilfully choreographed event was apparently just what the Duke had wished, in accordance with his detailed instructions for the day.
Prince Philip came into the world on a dining room table in the family home of Villa Mon Repos on the Ionian island of Corfu in 1921. His life has been extensively chronicled, although some aspects bear repeating. Born into the Greek royal family, which was of Germanic descent, he was a great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria through his mother, Princess Alice, who was born in Windsor Castle as was her mother. A tradition of intermarriage among the royal families of Europe meant that his future wife also happened to be a third cousin. A peripatetic and somewhat unsettled childhood culminated in a rather Spartan but character-building schooling at Gordonstoun in north Scotland, which fostered Philip’s love of the outdoors. After passing out as best cadet from the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, he embarked upon a promising naval career, following in the footsteps of his distinguished maternal uncle, Admiral of the Fleet Lord Mountbatten.
Philip’s 1947 marriage to Princess Elizabeth, whom he had first met in 1939, was to define his destiny, as she was next in succession to the throne. That year, he became a naturalised British subject. The premature death of the 56-year-old King George VI in 1952 ended any prospects of continued active service in the Royal Navy. The rest of his life was to be lived in the Queen’s shadow, but he managed to carve out a niche for himself nonetheless. Apart from serving as patron, president, chairman, or honorary member of as many as 850 charities and organisations, and undertaking countless official engagements and overseas visits, he took a keen interest in wildlife conservation, environmental protection, and the welfare of young people. as well as concerning himself with other diverse matters, such as industry and religion. The Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme was a particular successful initiative and possibly one of his greatest legacies.
The Duke, a title he received in 1952, was made a Prince in 1957. He held the highest honours in the land, being a Knight of the Garter, a Knight of the Thistle, and a member of the Order of Merit. However, he did not become King and unlike Victoria’s Prince Albert, not even Prince Consort. There were other ways to compensate for not being given a significant constitutional role. Prince Philip instead attained the highest of military ranks, including those of Lord High Admiral, Field Marshal, and Marshal of the Royal Air Force. These could be seen as just rewards for his personal loyalty to the Queen and as recognition of his military background and unstinting support for the nation’s defenders. Philip finally stepped down from his royal engagements in the summer of 2017, spending his last years largely out of the public eye.
Royalty has its supporters and detractors. Whatever you think of the concept of monarchy, you cannot overlook the fact that Prince Philip was one of a kind, and even as the influence of the monarchy wanes you are unlikely to see the likes of him again. Depending on the circumstances, he could be charming and witty, or forbidding and unfunny. While some were critical of his persona, on the island of Tanna in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu he gained the status of a deity. While he may or may not have possessed divine qualities, there can be no doubt that he played a leading role in British public life over the past seven decades. May his soul rest in peace.
Ashis Banerjee