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A memorial for the late Duke of Edinburgh has taken place at Westminster Abbey from 10.30am today, Tuesday 29 March.
The Service of Thanksgiving was held at Westminster Abbey and saw a 1,800-strong congregation gather to honour Prince Philip’s life.
The Queen arrived at the service accompanied by the Duke of York, who also walked her down the aisle in the abbey to her seat. He then took his own seat in the front row of the congregation.
The service came after the 95-year-old head of state pulled out of the Commonwealth Day service earlier this month due to mobility issues, and has previously spoken about her struggle to move.
Earlier reports said the Queen was “determined” to be at the service. The Palace said she was actively involved in plans for the service, with many elements reflecting her wishes.
Follow our liveblog to get the latest updates on Philip’s memorial today.
Senior members of the royal family sit in the front row of the congregation at the memorial for the Duke of Edinburgh. The Queen, as well as the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are wearing emerald green, while many others in the congregation have donned royal blue for the event.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s best quotes
As we remember Prince Philip’s life, we remember some of the best things he’s ever said throughout his 99 years of life:
Prince Philip’s best quotes from 1921-2021
An estimated 1,800 people are expected to attend the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service
Dean of Windsor pays tribute to ‘remarkable’ Prince Philip
The Duke of Edinburgh’s intellect, work ethic, sense of humour and devotion to his family were celebrated in an address by the Dean of Windsor.
Addressing the congregation in Westminster Abbey, The Right Reverend David Conner said: “He was practical, wanting to put flesh upon his dreams, and (acknowledging the limitations of living in this so-called ‘real world’) he devoted his astonishing intellectual and physical energy, his enormous capacity for sheer hard work, to a host of down-to-earth enterprises.
“These included the equipping of young people to face tomorrow’s challenges, the encouragement of respect and care for the natural order, and his pioneering work in facilitating conversation between representatives of the different world faiths.
“Through his passionate commitment, he drew others to himself in admiration and respect and, in the case of those who lived and worked most closely to him, genuine love.”
Mr Conner added: “He would hate to think that I should paint a picture of him as a ‘plaster saint’; someone without the usual human foibles and failings.
“He was far too self-aware ever to be taken in by flattery. Of course, it must be said that his life bore the marks of sacrifice and service.
“Certainly, he could show great sympathy and kindness. There is no doubt that he had a delightfully engaging, and often self-deprecating, sense of humour.
“It is quite clear that his mind held together both speculation and common sense. Moreover, nobody would ever doubt his loyalty and deep devotion to our Queen and to their family.
“Yet, there were times when he could be abrupt; maybe, in robust conversation, forgetting just how intimidating he could be.
“A kind of natural reserve sometimes made him seem a little distant. He could be somewhat sharp in pricking what he thought to be bubbles of pomposity or sycophancy.
“On the other hand, we should not forget that he himself was sometimes wounded by being unfairly criticised or misunderstood.”
Concluding his address, the dean said: “As we give thanks for the life of a remarkable man, perhaps our greatest tribute to him, most especially in these far too troubled times, will be for us to accept the challenge, implicit in his life, to rekindle in our hearts something of that call, and to pray (as I think he did) for the inspiration and the guidance to play our part, however small, in working for a kinder future.”
PA
Princess Charlotte praised for her confidence at memorial
Princess Charlotte, the second child of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s, has been praised for her confidence as she greeted people inside Westminster Abbey.
The six-year-old arrived with her parents and her older brother, Prince George, for the memorial of her great-grandfather.
The service has now finished, with the congregation singing the rousing “Guide Me, O Thou Redeemer”, followed by the national anthem, to wrap it up.
It was the Duke of Edinburgh’s wish that the hymn be sung at his funeral.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte make rare public appearance
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s two elder children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, have made a rare public appearance at Prince Philip’s memorial.
However, the couple’s youngest child, Prince Louis, was not in attendance.
Laura Hampson reports:
Prince George and Princess Charlotte make rare public appearance at Philip’s memorial
Prince Louis was not in attendance
The sweet meaning behind the flowers chosen for Prince Philip’s memorial
Westminster Abbey has given us a bit of background on the flower arrangements chosen to honour the Duke of Edinburgh today.
The abbey’s official Twitter account posted photographs of the flowers, which include roses, carnations, eryngium (sea holly) and dendrobium orchids.
The colours of each floral arrangement included shades of red, white and blue.
But there is a hidden meaning in the flowers that were chosen. According to Westminster Abbey, orchids “featured in The Queen’s wedding bouquet”, whilst sea holly “echoes The Duke’s career in the Navy and affection for the sea”.
Royal fans feel for the Queen as she appears emotional during rendition of ‘God Save The Queen'
Viewers who tuned into BBC One’s coverage of Prince Philip’s memorial were touched when the Queen appeared to become emotional when the national anthem was sung.
Some people said they noticed “tears in her eyes”, while others said that watching Her Majesty during the service made them emotional too.
Queen leaves Westminster Abbey
The Queen has now left Westminster Abbey. She was pictured being helped into her car by the Duke of York, whom she arrived at the memorial with.
All eyes on Kate Middleton’s Alessandra Rich dress
The Duchess of Cambridge continued to show off her style chops, arriving at the memorial in a flowy polka dot gown by Alessandra Rich.
Olivia Petter has the details:
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