On Friday (April 9), Queen Elizabeth shared the sad news that her beloved husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, had passed away. He was 99-years-old.
"It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. The Duke of Edinburgh "passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle."
Though the Royal Family has only just announced Prince Philip's passing, funeral plans for the Duke of Edinburgh are reportedly already underway. Queen Elizabeth has already entered "an eight-day period of mourning," according to People. This means the monarch will not partake in any of her royal duties for the next week. The outlet also reports that all affairs of state will also be put on pause during this time of mourning.
Things won't be returning to normal after the eight days are up. An official "Royal Mourning" will reportedly be carried out following this initial period of grief. The entire country is also expected to mourn the loss of Prince Philip for ten days, while the royal household will officially mourn for thirty days. This means that guardsmen outside all of the palaces will wear black armbands and tunics while on duty.
People reports that Prince Philip did not wish to have a full state funeral, but rather a royal ceremonial funeral. Due to COVID-19, it's unclear if large crowds will be able to gather to mourn the nation's loss together.
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