19 April 2021 09:31 am
WINDSOR AFP April17, 2021 - Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday bid farewell to her late husband, Prince Philip, at a royal funeral like no other, restricted by coronavirus rules but reflecting his long life of military and public service.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who died on April 9 at age 99, was interred in the Royal Vault at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle after a 50-minute service attended by just 30 guests.
The Queen, 94, seen for the first time since his death, sat alone dressed in mourning black, with a white-trimmed, black face mask. Close family, also masked, sat socially distanced in the historic 15th-century Gothic chapel.
Philip -- described by royals as “the grandfather of the nation” -- was Britain’s longest-serving royal consort and was married to the Queen for 73 years.
He was an almost constant presence at her side during her record-breaking reign that began in 1952.
His death, which the family said had left a “huge void” in the Queen’s life, has robbed of her of the man she called her “strength and stay”.