Prince Philip funeral plans curtailed by coronavirus safety

Mourners are told not to gather at royal residences

People place flowers and condolence messages outside Buckingham Palace following the death of Prince Philip. EPA

epa09124345 People place a Union Jack next to flowers outside Buckingham Palace. EPA

Jockeys and trainers observe a minute of silence in Aintree. EPA

Flowers are left at the entrance to Windsor castle. AFP

A young girl places flowers outside Buckingham Palace. EPA

Children add to the floral tributes outside the Henry VIII Gate of Windsor Castle. AFP

People gather outside Buckingham Palace. EPA

An announcement is attached to the fence of Buckingham Palace. Reuters

The Union Flag flies at half-mast atop Buckingham Palace. AFP

People wait in a line to view the announcement at Buckingham Palace. AP Photo

People take pictures of the announcement displayed on the fence of Buckingham Palace. AP Photo

A member of the media reports outside Buckingham Palace. Reuters

A tribute on a big screen for the late Prince Philip, ahead of Ladies Day of the Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool. PA

Video screens show pictures Prince Philip at the Grand National Horse Racing meeting at Aintree racecourse, near Liverpool. AP Photo

Staff members bring a notice to the fence of Buckingham Palace. Reuters

Britain is planning a subdued mourning period and funeral for Prince Philip as coronavirus safety forces royal pomp to take a step back.

People have been asked not to gather outside, or lay flowers at royal residences, to try to prevent crowds of mourners assembling.

And the traditional announcement of a royal death – a notice placed on the rails of Buckingham Palace for a day – has been cut back to just an hour or two because of its crowd-drawing potential.

Flags will fly at half-mast on government buildings in tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh until the morning after his funeral, but almost all other aspects of a royal funeral designed for public involvement will be drastically reduced.

"Although this is an extraordinarily difficult time for many, we are asking the public not to gather at royal residences, and continue to follow public health advice particularly on avoiding meeting in large groups and on minimising travel," a Cabinet Office spokesman said.

"We are supporting the Royal Household in asking that floral tributes should not be laid at Royal residences at this time."

As England is being gradually eased out of a national lockdown amid the Covid-19 crisis, both the government and royal family are keen to avoid anything that attracts crowds.

Despite the request, there were already mourners gathering outside Buckingham Palace on Friday. Single daffodils were threaded through the black railings and others left bouquets of flowers and Union Jack flags on the pavement.
Buckingham Palace was one of the focal points for public mourning after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, along with her former home, Kensington Palace.

Nearby Clarence House, just a short distance up The Mall, was also thronged with well-wishers when the queen's mother, also called Queen Elizabeth, died aged 101 in 2002.

Flags will be flown at half-mast on all government buildings in Wales, and at Holyrood, home to the Scottish Parliament.

Two members of the Royal Household staff, wearing black face masks and ties, placed the official notice on the railings of Buckingham Palace.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the notice was taken down within an hour or two.

The pandemic will have a major impact on the carefully laid plans for the funeral, with the public elements of the final farewell to the Queen's consort not able to take place in their original form.

The details have yet to be made public.