DETAILS have now been revealed about Prince Philip’s special Thanksgiving service next week.
Hundreds of people will come together on March 29 in Westminster Abbey to celebrate the life of The Queen’s beloved late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.
Prince Philip, 99, died on April 9 last year, after decades by the side of Her Majesty.
A limited number of people attended his funeral last year because of the lockdown restrictions in place at the time.
But next week will bring together hundreds of family, friends, and colleagues to celebrate the Prince’s remarkable life.
The service is set to “recognise the importance of his legacy” and to celebrate the opportunities he created for young people and his support of the Armed Forces.
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His unwavering dedication to the environment and conservation will also feature in the thanksgiving service.
And the Royal Family will be joined by other members of royal families across the world – as well as The Duke of Edinburgh’s wider family and friends.
The Palace has yet to confirm whether the Queen will be able to be present, saying that she still hopes to attend.
The congregation at Westminister Abbey will include over 500 representatives of Prince Philip’s 700 patronages and charities – which he dedicated much of his life to.
Members of the UK Government, the Queen’s household, and members of the clergy and other faiths will also attend on the day.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the youth scheme set up by Philip in 1956, will feature prominently, with a special tribute delivered by a Gold Award holder.
In recognition of Philip’s long-held relationship with the armed forces, the Band of the Royal Marines will provide music before and after the service.
This comes after Prince Harry, Philip’s grandson, revealed he wouldn’t be attending the event over a security row.
The petulant royal claimed he would feel “unsafe” after losing his personal security when he left for the US.
Senior aides revealed that Her Majesty was informed of his snub a quarter of an hour before his statement about Prince Philip’s service was issued.
The decision comes amid a High Court row over Harry’s personal security.
Angela Levin, Harry’s biographer, said: “He has snubbed the Duke of Edinburgh but really he is snubbing the Queen.”
