Who was Prince Philip and what were the plans for his funeral?

Here’s what you need to know about Philip’s life and legacy.

Prince Philip has been married to Elizabeth for more than seven decades. He was born into the Greek royal family, with royal roots that connected him to the monarchies of Denmark, Germany, Russia and Britain.

He and Elizabeth shared the same great-great-grandmother.

Philip’s early years were turbulent: shortly after his birth, his family fled Greece after death threats to his father, King Andrew. As a child he spent time in boarding schools in England and Germany, where his sisters settled, both marrying German princes and joining the Nazi party.

Former British naval officer, Philip married Elizabeth in 1947. They in 1939, when she was 13 and he was 17. At the time of their marriage they considered him cheeky, charismatic and a breath of fresh air for the British age-old monarchy. He received the title of Duke of Edinburgh.

When Elizabeth was crowned in 1953, Philip, who was kneeling, promised to be her “liar” or faithful servant for life. He kept that promise, becoming the longest-serving royal wife in British history.

Philip was known as an active man in the open air and promoted fitness for young people. Biographers have described him as dedicated to the queen, but he has an alpha male personality. He expressed frustration with the need to leave military service after Elizabeth became queen.

His public appearance has also been defined by repeated gaffes and racist, sexist and classicist remarks over the decades. He had a controversial relationship with the British tabloid press.

In recent years, controversies over his legacy, such as rumors of infidelity, have been revived by the Netflix hit show about the Queen’s reign, “The Crown”.

He and Elizabeth had four children – Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – and eight grandchildren.

Philip “died peacefully” at Windsor Castle, according to a statement on the Buckingham Palace website. He and the Queen carried out a pandemic at Windsor Castle, mostly out of the public eye. Flags continued to be lowered across Britain on Saturday. Royal staff dressed in black.

On Saturday, Buckingham Palace announced that the funeral would be held at Windsor Castle on April 17. It will be just a private family function.

“It will be what is known as a ceremonial royal funeral,” said a Buckingham Palace spokesman. “The funeral plans are largely in line with the personal wishes of the Duke of Edinburgh.”

The palace also said Prince Harry would fly in from California, but that his wife Meghan Markle, who is pregnant, would not travel with him, on the orders of her doctor.

“The Duke of Sussex plans to attend,” a Buckingham Palace spokesman said. “Her doctor advised the Duchess of Sussex not to travel.”

Current English rules limit the attendance of funerals to 30 and require social distancing and face masks. Travelers from abroad must be quarantined and tested negative for covid.

The palace said that the funeral would be in accordance with all the restrictions related to the coronavirus.

Earlier plans were made for the prince’s funeral, although they must now be tailored to meet British restrictions on the coronavirus. Britain has just come out of its third blockade and large gatherings are banned. Usually large crowds would flock to London to attend the royal ceremony.

Instead, according to the College of Arms, which is involved in funeral plans, Philip will not have a state funeral or lie in the state at Westminster Palace.

“The body of His Royal Highness will rest in Windsor Castle before the funeral in St. George’s Chapel. This is in accordance with the customs and wishes of His Royal Highness, ”said the College of Arms in a statement on Friday, Reuters reported.

“Funeral arrangements have been revised given the prevailing circumstances stemming from the covid-19 pandemic and it is regrettable that members of the public do not attempt to attend or participate in any funeral event.”

Before his death, the prince said that he did not want a big funeral or some other formal ceremony prepared for certain members of the royal family.

Buckingham Palace has issued a statement urging that crowds of people not gather in light of the pandemic. Instead of leaving flowers, as is usual, it is suggested that the bereaved donate to charity or sign the online book of condolences.

It seems that the title “Duke of Edinburgh” will pass to Philip’s youngest son Edward, Earl of Wessex, who is the only child of the reigning monarch who did not have a duchy.

But the matter is not so simple.

Charles, as the eldest of the brothers and sisters and heir to the throne, could have been the heir to the title. But in 1999, Buckingham Palace announced that Edward would one day take it over.

Edward will probably receive the title only after the Queen’s death, when Prince Charles becomes King. When the royal becomes a monarch, the other titles they possess merge with the crown, leaving room for them to return.

For now, Elizabeth’s health remains the biggest consequence for Windsor Castle. When she dies, 72-year-old Charles will take over the reins.

While the British queen focused on domestic duties, Philip was often sent on tours abroad, including trips to 16 countries that are still part of the British community. He performed a total of 22,191 solo engagements, went on 637 foreign visits and gave 5,493 speeches, according to Buckingham Palace.

Although many of his public appearances were well received, over the years he has also given a series of memorable, insensitive comments, often showing little remorse afterwards.

For example, in 1986, on a tour of Beijing, he called the city “awful” and told a British student that he could end up with “slimy eyes.” He later said that it was a misquoted joke and that he really said “slit eyes”.

Other obvious attempts at jokes were also poorly received. He once remarked to a woman lawyer (or attorney), “I thought nowadays a woman asking for this was illegal.” In another case, he said to a blind woman accompanied by a guide dog, “Do you know they now eat dogs for anorexics?”

Philip reportedly asked a driving instructor in Scotland, “How do you keep the natives away from drinking long enough to pass the test?”

In 2019, at the age of 97, the prince surrendered his license after he crashed his SUV into a car with three other people in them, including a 9-month-old child.

The Queen was reportedly a fan of much of his humor – though he did test it.

“You can take it from me that the Queen has an abundance of tolerance in abundance,” he said in one speech. Elizabeth reportedly replied with a slight smile.

This report has been updated. Jennifer Hassan, William Booth and Karla Adam contributed to the London reporting.